Council made £1.15m from fines at single School Street in less than two years

A North London council has collected more than £1 million in fines from motorists caught driving through a single School Street scheme.

Brent Council issued penalty charge notices worth £1.15 million after introducing restrictions outside Manor School in Kensal Rise in November 2024.

School streets are being trialled across the borough to enforce road closures outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times. The measures, designed to improve road safety and air quality around the school, are enforced using CCTV cameras and carry fines of up to £160.

Liberal Democrat councillor Barbara Want has questioned whether signage at the location is sufficiently visible after tens of thousands of penalties were issued.

She argues signs are mounted too high and says the level of enforcement suggests many drivers are entering the restricted area without realising.

“The fact that it has raked in more than £1m should have told them something wasn’t right,” she said.

Council figures show the scheme has generated an average of almost £55,000 a month.

The local authority said the signs in place comply with the Department for Transport guidelines, yet, due to low compliance, they have decided to install additional lower-level signs and gateway features to make the school road clearer for road users.

Although the money raised by the council has since fallen, Cllr Want argues that despite the new mitigations in place, the scheme is more “about revenue generation” than improving road safety or air quality.

She continued: “I’m pleased that Labour has finally listened and agreed to trial new gateway features but that will be of little consolation to the many drivers who have already been fined.

“It shouldn’t have taken me continuing to push for action when the data was so stark; I fear the scheme is more about revenue generation than improving road safety or air quality.”

Councillor Promise Knight, Cabinet Member for Cleaner Streets, Transport, and Public Realm, said in response: “School Streets exist to make the journey to and from school safer for children and families. That is particularly important at Manor School, which supports children with complex special education needs, including pupils who may have limited awareness of road danger.

“The current signage complies with Department for Transport requirements and is supported by additional advance warning signs. However, compliance remains too low, so we are installing further lower-level warning signs and trialling gateway features to make the School Street even clearer to motorists.

“The purpose of the scheme is to protect children by reducing congestion and improving air quality. We will continue to review the scheme and make practical improvements where they can help drivers comply.”