MOTORISTS and shop owners across the south are being persecuted by sky-high parking fees, a Cabinet minister claimed yesterday.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles tore into local authorities in the region that will make more than £16m from charges and fines this year.

Southampton City Council expects to bring in an extra £492,000 from parking fees in 2013-14, it has told the Government.

The Labour-run authority predicts its surplus – after costs – will be a whopping £4m this year, up from £3.5m in 2012-13.

Now Mr Pickles has vowed to crack down on “unfair town hall parking rules”, saying: “The law is clear that parking is not a tax or cash cow for town hall officers.”

But the city council hit back, insisting any surplus was spent in ways that helped improve transport for everyone in Southampton.

Councillor Jacqui Rayment, Cabinet member for environment and transport, said parking charges were set in line with Government regulations.

She added: “Parking charges, and enforcement activities, are essential to keep traffic moving and avoid congestion and also improve road safety and manage demand for road space effectively – including supporting local businesses.

“Any surplus goes towards highways and transport services, such as supporting the maintenance of roads and footpaths, supporting bus services, and funding transport and highway improvement schemes across the city.”

Winchester City Council is also projecting soaring income (up £409,000 to £3.2million), with receipts at Test Valley (up £159,000 to £1.1million) and the Isle of Wight (up £108,000 to £2.6million) also on the rise.

However, other local authorities – including Fareham (down £429,000 to £1.3million) and New Forest (down £13,000 to £1.1million) – are predicting that net income will fall in 2013-14.

Across the district, it is expected that town halls will scoop £16.3million – up £849,000 on last year’s £15.4m.

The figures are the total income from all parking charges and fines, minus the cost of administering the service and of parking patrols.

Mr Pickles seized on a projected surplus of £635m illion across England, saying: “This municipal parking profit shows why we need to review and rein in unfair town hall parking rules.

“This Government has scrapped the last administration’s Whitehall rules, which told councils to hike up parking charges and adopt aggressive parking enforcement.

“But councils aren’t listening – and local shops and hard-working families are suffering as a result.”

The attack follows Mr Pickles’ call to allow free parking on double yellow lines for up to 15 minutes, a change likely to be blocked by the Liberal Democrats.

He is now believed to be drafting different policies to make it easier to park on the high street without fear of being given a ticket.

Meanwhile, town hall leaders have asked ministers to let them raise fines for parking offences above the current £70 limit outside London.

Council budgets have also suffered an unprecedented squeeze, after Mr Pickles agreed to a 33 per cent cut in Government grants, over four years.

In 2011, the coalition Government scrapped guidance that allowed councils to set parking charges at a level which would encourage motorists to switch to public transport.

It was hoped town halls would introduce cut-price rates to boost the high street – but critics allege many went the other way and hiked prices.