CORNWALL is the second biggest earner from parking charges outside London, as councils rake in more than £565 million each year from motorists, a report claims. The authority was said to have made £7.9 million profit during the financial year 2011-12 – the eighth highest in the country and topped only by six London boroughs and Brighton and Hove. The RAC, which published the report, said the total was up £54 million on last year and was providing a "nice little earner" for local authorities. Campaigners concerned that town centres are losing trade to supermarkets say the car parks are being treated like a "cash cow". But they also admit that the authority is unlikely to give up a such a major source of income.
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