Adrian@TORQEN

Parking charges are providing huge cash surpluses for some English councils, according to the RAC Foundation. The 359 councils across England had a total current account surplus of £565m from on and off-street parking schemes in 2011-12, according to the figures. Eight of the biggest 10 surpluses came from London councils with Westminster leading the way with a £41.6m profit. Westminster City Council disputed many of the figures but said it would work with motorists to reduce fines. The other two councils outside London making the top 10 were Brighton and Hove in sixth with £14.4m and Cornwall in eighth with £7.9m. The total profit represented a £54m increase on the surplus from 2010-11 and only 52 of the councils reported a deficit on their 2011-12 parking operations. The RAC Foundation figures, produced for them by transport consultant David Leibling, are from the annual returns councils are required to provide to the Department for Communities and Local Government. They are based on three factors - on-street parking charges, off-street parking charges and parking penalties. Running costs of parking operations are deducted from this total to produce the surplus or deficit figure. Tackling congestion Transport minister Norman Baker said: "The law is quite clear. Councils should not be pricing their parking in order to make a profit. "Any monies raised from parking in excess of the cost of administration has to go back to transport purposes which can be dealing with pot holes, improved road management or can be investing in public transport to encourage people to free up the roads." While disputing many of the figures, Westminster City Council still signalled its intention to work with motorists and road users. Councillor Daniel Astaire, Westminster City Council cabinet member for business, said: "The system is already changing and councils are already looking to work with motorists to issue fewer fines and crucially increase the amount of people parking correctly. "Parking is about traffic management, tackling congestion and trying to implement positive benefits for businesses and high streets. "If we stay in this Jurassic age of pure rhetoric about cash cows and money making, innovation will be stifled and we cannot engage with motorists properly in order to find the best solutions that will benefit everyone." Kensington and Chelsea Council made the second biggest surplus of £28.1m and a spokesman told BBC London: "There is a greater demand for parking spaces in Kensington and Chelsea than practically anywhere else in the country. "The council has discretion on how to spend any surplus that may arise, within the allowable purposes provided for by Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984." Havering Council had the second lowest figures in London, despite its surplus of £703,000 having gone up by £563,000. A spokeswoman said: "These latest figures show our commitment to giving residents and visitors to the borough value for money, as well as showing our support for local high streets and as a result the wider economy. "Havering has so much to offer and parking charges are a key factor in encouraging people to shop in the borough and improving trade for businesses. "Despite being the third largest London borough, parking charges in Havering are still among the lowest in London and have stayed the same for several years. But in April this year, we cut prices even further." 'Cash cow' Councillor Peter Box, chairman of the Local Government Association's economy and transport board, said: "Parking revenue is spent on paying for parking services. "Any money left over goes towards transport services like filling potholes, concessionary travel and road improvement projects. "As the report makes clear, many councils have to subsidise parking services as the cost is not covered by charges. "Parking charges and fines help councils keep traffic flowing and pedestrians and motorists safe." On Wednesday, government figures showed that money made from parking charges and fines by English councils is set to continue to rise. The councils expect that net income from parking services is likely to increase from £601m in 2012-13 to £635m in 2013-14. Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles said: "This municipal parking profit shows why we need to review and rein in unfair town hall parking rules. The law is clear that parking is not a tax or cash cow for town hall officers." Last week, the High Court ruled against Barnet Council's move to raise the cost of residents' parking permits in a landmark victory for campaigners. Mrs Justice Lang ruled that the council acted unlawfully when it increased permit costs to generate more money for road maintenance. Top 10 parking surpluses Westminster £41.6m Kensington and Chelsea £28.1m Camden £25m Hammersmith and Fulham £19.5m Wandsworth £16.1m Brighton and Hove £14.4m Islington £10.9m Cornwall £7.9m Newham £7.3m Hounslow £7.3m Source: RAC Foundation. Figures for 2011-12 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23518194

A total of 290 people were killed in drink-drive accidents last year - a quarter up on the previous 12 months. Revealed by the Department for Transport (DfT), the estimated figure compared to 230 in 2011. The 2012 figure - which represented 17% of all road fatalities - was made worse by the fact that the 2011 total was the lowest since records began in 1979. There were 250 drink-drive accidents that resulted in deaths in 2012, compared with 220 in 2011. Overall, the number of accidents involving drink-driving last year was 6,680 - fractionally down on the 2011 figure of 6,690. And the number of people seriously injured in drink-drive accidents also went down, from 1,270 in 2011 to 1,210 in 2012. Minor injuries in drink-drive accidents totalled 8,500 last year - slightly up on the 8,420 figure in 2011. Among those killed in drink-drive accidents, most (68%) were drivers and riders over the legal alcohol limit. The remaining 32% were other road users, involved in the accident but not necessarily over the legal limit themselves. Although the death toll from last year rose significantly, the annual fatality figure has come down considerably since the late 1970s and 1980s when figures of more than 1,400 deaths a year were recorded. The annual death figure hovered around the 530 to 580 mark in the first years of the 21st century before dipping sharply over the period 2007 to 2011. Local Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "Road deaths are thankfully at their lowest since records began in 1926 and the number of drink-drive related deaths has declined overall with 25% in 2012 than in 2009. "These latest figures are provisional, but any road death is one too many and we are absolutely not complacent when it comes to road safety. "That is why we are taking forward a package of measures to streamline enforcement against drink-driving, including approving portable evidential breath-testing equipment which will allow for more effective and efficient enforcement." http://news.sky.com/...ncrease-in-2012

You'll soon recommend me to get a Jaaaaag

In UK we call 999 not 911 for emergency situations

Some CF interesting ideas:

Thanks guys!

Send Octet a message he's looking for OEM suspension. Thanks Wasso!

Sorry for late reply. I do have one uscratched one PM me with price please. Thanks, Adrian

SOLD, please lock.

Works fine on Safari and Firefox on Mac

Now you're jealous!

1. 350zOEM DE cats, both sides - GOT IT, thanks TomS 2. 350z GT OEM brake discs (for Brembo setup) - GOT IT from ebay 3. 350z DE OEM plastic engine cover - GOT IT from ebay 4. 350z OEM rear shock absorbers - GOT THEM from ebay 5. 350z GT OEM front camber arms - SORTED, thanks Darren-B 6. 350z OEM exhaust system - OEM cats, Y pipe, mid section, rear box - SORTED, thanks OllyB 7. 350z DE OEM MAF sensor - SORTED, thanks Darren-B 8. 350z DE OEM injectors - SORTED, thanks Darren-B 9. 350z DE OEM fuel pump bucket - SORTED, thanks Darren-B PM me if you have any of the above laying in your garage or loft

True story, Gary, I'll ask Mark for details

It's OK dad, I've landed back in UK last night, missed me? :|

... and also a good reason to rob a few banks

Good reason to go up to 1000bhp, Tony!

Brief mentions about the 350z and 370z

Mark will probably be here soon to explain

Seen this on AbbeyMS Facebook page today: 500rwhp on stock engine Who's the tuner, who's the owner? Anyone in here?

The Power Intake is the premier air filter designed to create pure horsepower. The intake funnels used in racing machines take advantage of a characteristic where air travels along the side of the side of surfaces. However, the center portion of the funnel is virtually unused. It is this concept that gave birth to the Dual Funnel design. A primary funnel on the top portion of the air cleaner was inserted to channel the air flow directly into the lower funnels at the base of the cleaner. This design was a huge success on the former Super Intake model. The Power Intake took this design and improved the flow characteristics. New funnel design, element material and air flow channeling characteristics make the Power Intake one of the most efficient air cleaners on the market today. By constructing the upper and lower funnel from a highly durable injected resin, engineers were able to construct the ideal shaped funnel previously not possible with the stainless steel material. Funnel shapes focused on increasing air speed without changing the flow direction of the intake air. The result is a high speed and smooth flow of air into the intake. The lower funnel has been engineered at a 14 degree curve for maximum efficiency. Also, the lower funnel position has been made even closer to the base of the cleaner to reduce drag and eliminate any _dead spots†within the cleaner. The Power Intake incorporates a newly developed material (layer filter of dry density fibers) which improves the element density. This allows maximum protection from foreign materials entering the engine. Compared with past model, the Power Intake has also succeeded in decreasing its ventilation resistance by about 10% (pressure loss) for maximum performance and protection. The Power Intake is dry-type filter and is trouble free. Some of the problems associated with wet type cleaners, such as oil sticking to the air flow meter, are a thing of the past. The Power Intake is basically maintenance free.

Back in the UK, all items sold will be dispatched this week. All PMs replied.

Back in the UK, all items sold will be dispatched this week. All PMs replied.

Back in the UK, all items sold will be dispatched this week. All PMs replied.