More than 70,000 fines were issued to drivers on Brent’s School Streets in a year. This has prompted concerns over whether motorists are being caught out by confusing restrictions rather than deliberately breaking the rules.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, Brent Council issued 73,018 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) across roads serving 33 schools in the borough. If paid in full, the fines would amount to more than £11.6 million.
The School Streets scheme restricts vehicle access outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times in a bid to improve road safety and reduce pollution. Enforcement is carried out using CCTV cameras and mobile teams, with drivers facing fines of up to £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days. The figures mean an average of around 384 fines were issued for every school day during the year.
Concerns about the scale of enforcement are set to be raised at Brent Council’s Full Council meeting on 6 July by Conservative cllr Michael Maurice. Cllr Maurice said residents had raised concerns that there have been complaints that the signage at some locations in Brent is “unclear, poorly positioned, or difficult to interpret clearly while driving.”
He has asked the council what reviews have been undertaken to ensure motorists are not being penalised due to inadequate signage or poor scheme design rather than intentional breaches of the restrictions.
The roads surrounding Preston Manor School recorded the highest number of fines, with 12,250 PCNs issued during the period.
The School Street zone around the school, introduced in November 2024, covers Carlton Avenue East, Princess Avenue, Bowling Green Court and Elmstead Avenue, where vehicle access is restricted between 8am and 9am and again from 2.30pm to 4pm on weekdays unless drivers have a permit or exemption.
Other locations with high numbers of penalties included the School Streets serving John Keble C of E School, Maple Walk School and St Claudine’s Catholic School in Harlesden, where 12,171 fines were issued. Roads around Kingsbury Green Primary School and St Robert Southwell Catholic Primary School saw a further 8,337 penalties.
Responding to concerns, Cabinet Member for Cleaner Streets, Transport and Public Realm, Cllr Promise Knight, said all School Street signage complies with national legal requirements. She said the council carried out a borough-wide review of School Street signage in 2023 and subsequently installed additional advance warning signs where appropriate, despite them not being a legal requirement.
A further review took place in 2024, resulting in more advance warning signs being installed across several locations. Cllr Knight said: “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 locations with high levels of enforcement activity and will consider further improvements where concerns are identified.
The council recently completed a review of 22 School Street schemes to assess their impact on road safety, travel behaviour and air quality. According to the authority, the review found child casualty numbers remained very low, while several locations saw reductions in overall road traffic casualties. It also found evidence of reduced car use and increased walking, cycling, scooting and public transport use. Annual nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels also fell during the monitoring period, which the council said suggested improved local air quality.
Cllr Knight said the schemes had received positive feedback from residents and schools and were helping create safer environments around schools while supporting active travel.
