Concerns have been raised about the “significant number” of fines issued to drivers on School Streets in a North London borough, where more than 70,000 were handed out in just 12 months.
There have been complaints that the signage at some locations in Brent is “unclear, poorly positioned, or difficult to interpret clearly while driving”, according to a ward councillor.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, Brent Council issued 73,018 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to drivers on streets serving 33 of the borough’s schools which, if paid in full, would have generated over £11.6million in revenue. That is a rate of 384 fines a day based on the approximate number of school days in Brent in a year (190).
More than 73,000 fines issued in a year
The fines are part of the local authority’s ‘School Streets’ scheme, which is designed to enforce closures on roads outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times for safety and environmental reasons.
The worst affected are the four streets outside Preston Manor School, which were first designated under the scheme in November, 2024. Despite warnings from the school that drivers will require a permit or exemption, council data reveals that 12,250 fines were issued in the 12 months up to March of this year.
The restrictions mean that unauthorised drivers are not allowed to access Carlton Avenue East, Princess Avenue, Bowling Green Court, or Elmstead Avenue from 8am to 9am and 2:30pm to 4pm on weekdays. When it was first implemented, the school acknowledged that the zone may “take a little time to adapt to” but it would have “an immediate positive impact” on children’s safety.
Other notable schools that have seen a large number of fines issued are the roads surrounding John Keble C of E, Maple Walk, and St Claudine’s in Harlesden where 12,171 have been handed out, as well as around Kingsbury Green and St Robert Southwell in Kingsbury, which has seen 8,337 PCNs issued.
Restricted School Streets are actively enforced by local CCTV cameras and mobile enforcement teams rather than manual barriers, with unauthorised drivers facing fines of up to £160 – reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days.
This means that, between April 2025 and March 2026, the council issued fines totalling between £5.8m and £11.6m from School Street violations alone – depending on whether the full or reduced amount was paid, although some will also likely have gone unpaid.
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Councillor calls for review of signage
The issue is set to be raised by Conservative Councillor, Michael Maurice, at next week’s Full Council meeting (July 6). Given what he describes as the “significant number” of fines issued, Cllr Maurice has asked Brent Council what review it has undertaken of the signage and for a full breakdown of the figures to make sure motorists aren’t being caught out by “inadequate signage or poor scheme design” rather than a deliberate breach of the rules.
He also wants to know what impact the scheme has had on improving child safety and reducing pollution to ensure residents and visitors aren’t given the impression they “are serving as revenue generating measures”.
Council says signage meets legal requirements
Cabinet Member for Cleaner Streets, Transport and Public Realm, Cllr Promise Knight, said Brent Council is committed to ensuring that all School Street schemes “operate fairly, lawfully, and effectively”, whilst pointing out that all of the signage within the borough “is compliant” with the national legal requirements.
Cllr Knight added: “In addition to meeting these statutory requirements, the council undertook a borough-wide review of School Street signage in 2023. Following that review, advance warning signs (AWS) were installed on approaches to School Street restrictions where appropriate, despite such signage not being a legal requirement. The purpose of these additional signs was to provide motorists with greater advance notice of the restrictions before reaching the enforcement point.
“A further review of signage and layouts was undertaken in 2024. As additional funding became available, further advance warning signs were installed at a number of School Street locations to enhance driver awareness. All School Street schemes now include advance warning signage on the approach to every entry point, and two entry signs are provided wherever site conditions make this feasible.
She added that officers regularly review School Street locations “including sites with higher levels of enforcement activity”. The council will consider further improvements where there are concerns.
Cllr Knight said the high number of PCNs could be due to a number of things such as traffic volumes, and their location in relation to other busy roads.
Review finds safety and air quality improvements
The council recently completed a review of 22 School Street schemes across the borough to assess their impact on road safety, travel behaviour, air quality, and stakeholder feedback. The local authority said it found that child casualty numbers remained “very low” and there were “no sustained increases” in road traffic casualties around most schools – with several seeing “reductions in overall casualties”.
The review also found that the evidence that travel behaviour had changed was “positive overall”, through reduced car travel and an increase in walking, cycling, scooting and use of public transport. Annual NO2 concentrations decreased during the monitoring period, according to the report, which the council claims suggests reduced vehicle emissions and improving local air quality.
Cllr Knight said: “School Streets have been well supported by residents and the school community and with positive feedback. From our studies, it has been concluded School Streets appear [to be] effective in meeting the councils transport objectives and providing a safer environment around schools, reducing traffic-related risks, improving air quality, and maintaining or increasing active travel levels.”
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Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
