£80m new parking meters

The Royal Mint rolled out the new coins in February. They’re 0.2mm thicker than before and made of cheaper steel coated in nickel, rather than a traditional copper and nickel mix. But one council has already been forced to shell out thousands of pounds on modifying meters in its area, as the old machines won’t accept the new coins.

Crawley Borough Council in West Sussex has spent £7,200 widening the slots in 24 meters in its car parks to accommodate the new coins – it costs £300 per machine. And other local authorities are expected to quickly follow suit, with a reported cost to local councils and private car park operators estimated to reach a massive £80million over the next two years.

The Treasury claimed switching to steel in the new 5p and 10p coins would save the Royal Mint £8million a year, as it’s much cheaper than the cupronickel used previously.

Health concerns have been raised about the coins’ new nickel coating, too. It can cause an allergic skin reaction – with an estimated one in 10 women in the UK suffering from a nickel sensitivity. The material has already been banned by the authorities in Sweden.