School Street fines at one location exceed £1m

A London council has issued more than £1m worth of penalty charge notices (PCNs) to drivers under a School Street scheme in less than two years.

Brent Council issued PCNs totalling £1.15m after introducing the scheme outside Manor School in Kensal Rise in November 2024, saying it would improve road safety and the environment.

Ward councillor Barbara Want raised concerns about the scheme and claimed that the signs were "too high and not properly visible".

Brent Council said the signs in place complied with Department for Transport guidelines, but that it had decided to install extra lower-level signs and gateway features to give more clarity to drivers.

In the 21 months the scheme has been in place, the north-west London council has collected £54,799 on average per month, with the scheme only in place during term time.

School Streets are being trialled across the borough to enforce road closures during drop-off and pick-up times, policed by CCTV cameras and mobile enforcement teams. Those caught face a PCN of £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days.

Previously, it was reported that 70,000 PCNs were issued in 12 months, at a rate of 384 per school day.

In July 2025, the two cameras enforcing the scheme outside Manor School raised more than £107,000 in a single month, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Want said: "For months I have been highlighting the huge volume of PCNs issued to drivers on the Manor School Street. The fact that it has raked in more than £1m in two years should have told them something wasn't right."

"It is failing children's safety if drivers are still using the road. I fear the scheme is more about revenue generation than improving road safety or air quality."

Promise Knight, the council's cabinet member for cleaner streets, transport and public realm, said School Streets existed in the borough "to make the journey to and from school safer for children and families".

"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."