A fresh row has broken out over car parking in Exeter after it emerged that the city council has leased a car park to a private contractor.
The car park in Flowerpot Lane has 62 spaces and it currently costs £2 to park there all day.
The nearby car park in Okehampton Street, which is run by the city council, has 84 spaces and costs £1.80 for all day parking.
Percy Prowse, city councillor for Duryard, said: "Why did we give the one next door to Okehampton Street car park away? And it seems to have been done without telling councillors.
"We could be getting revenue from this. The car park is a big open space and has a good surface, we could put our own parking machine in there.
"Even if we charged £1 a day we would be getting something."
An Exeter City Council spokesman said: "This piece of land was previously free and unpoliced, bringing in the council no revenue at all.
"Flowerpot Lane is one of several pieces of land that the council owns that is used for car parking but not included in the current Parking Places Order that allows us to let car parks.
"As a result, Flowerpot and others are currently regulated though a private contractor. The lease is for a term of five years from March 2012, with a break clause, at a rent of 50 per cent of net income.
"However, in November the council decided to incorporate these areas into a new Parking Places Order from April next year, enabling a single management and (civil parking) enforcement regime to operate across the city on land in the council's ownership. These plans are currently being worked through."
