School Street fines at one location exceed £1m

The controversy centres on the School Street restrictions established outside Manor School in Kensal Rise. According to reporting highlighted by Yahoo News, the local authority accumulated penalty charge notices totalling £1.15m following the launch of the road safety project in November 2024. Operating exclusively during school term times to enforce road closures during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up hours, the initiative relies on CCTV cameras and mobile enforcement teams to catch rule-breakers. Motorists caught entering the restricted zones face a standard penalty charge notice of £160, which drops to £80 if settled within a fourteen-day window.

Financial figures gathered across the operating period highlight the heavy volume of penalties. Over the twenty-one months the restrictions have been active, the council collected an average of £54,799 per month. A sharp spike occurred in July 2025, when just two cameras positioned at key junctions—specifically at Hanover Road and Okehampton Road, and at Chamberlayne Road and Okehampton Road—generated more than £107,000 in a single month, as noted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service and detailed by Yahoo News UK. Broader borough-wide figures previously indicated that 70,000 penalty notices were issued across twelve months at a rate of 384 per school day, with local reporting suggesting that full payment of those borough-wide fines could theoretically yield eleven million pounds in a single year.

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Elected officials have locked horns over the root cause of the staggering penalty figures. Liberal Democrat ward councillor Barbara Want has repeatedly challenged the Labour-run administration over the volume of fines, arguing that the massive financial yield should have served as an immediate warning sign that motorists were struggling to understand the rules. For months I have been highlighting the huge volume of PCNs issued to drivers on the Manor School Street, Councillor Want stated, adding that the entry signs were positioned too high to be properly visible to incoming traffic.

"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."

Councillor Barbara Want, Ward Councillor, via Asian Standard

Similar concerns regarding confusing signage were examined in depth by the Asian Standard, which questioned whether obscured or elevated markers were unfairly trapping unwary motorists.

In defence of the initiative, council leadership emphasised the critical safety role played by the restrictions, particularly given the specific needs of the student population at the affected institution. Councillor Promise Knight, the cabinet member for cleaner streets, transport and public realm, defended the measures in statements carried by Bbc News.

"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."

Councillor Promise Knight, Cabinet Member for Cleaner Streets, Transport and Public Realm, via AOL.co.uk

Councillor Knight maintained that the existing signage fully complied with the requirements set down by the Department for Transport and was reinforced by supplementary advance warning signs. Nevertheless, acknowledging that motorist compliance remained unsatisfactory, the local authority announced practical adjustments to help drivers navigate the restrictions successfully.

Brent Council confirmed it would alter its approach by installing additional lower-level warning signs alongside trial gateway features.