Drivers have been issued with millions of pounds worth of penalties after a London council rigorously enforced a road closure in a low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) over a four-year period.
Figures from Haringey Council reveal that traffic cameras in the St Ann’s LTN caught 6,800 motorists in a single month in 2022.
The roads have been restricted to through traffic since August 2022, when large planters and warning signs were installed.
According to figures provided in response to a freedom of information (FOI) request, 56,260 drivers had been recorded entering the restricted area without authorisation by October 2026.
At the standard rate of £160 per offence, the penalties could theoretically have generated more than £9million. Motorists who pay promptly receive a 50 per cent discount, meaning the total could still have exceeded £4.5million over four years.
Haringey Council disputes that estimate, saying the amount actually collected was ‘about £2million’. The authority says the LTN was introduced to ‘encourage walking, cycling, and wheeling in a safer, cleaner environment’.
Residents, however, have criticised the scheme as a ‘rip-off’.
More than 56,000 motorists have been caught at St Ann’s LTN, resulting in millions of pounds in penalties over four years (file photo)
Almost 7,000 motorists were penalised for entering La Rose Lane, formerly Black Boy Lane, without permission in November 2022 alone
Anne Quinn, who previously lived nearby, said she received multiple penalties and intended to challenge the penalty-charge notices (PCNs).
She said: ‘When I first noticed the planters, I was distracted and assumed they were linked to some sort of event in Chestnut Park.
‘I made the freedom-of-information request because I wanted to find out how many other drivers had failed to see the road-closure signs.
‘The figures suggest that the council’s signs are not sufficiently clear. I believe people are being ripped off.’
The fines are generated by cameras positioned at both ends of La Rose Lane, which was previously known as Black Boy Lane. In November 2022, 3,704 notices were issued at one end and a further 3,117 at the other.
The council said it could not provide figures showing how many PCNs had been successfully challenged or overturned following an appeal to a tribunal.
May was identified in the data as the month when motorists were most likely to be fined for using La Rose Lane.
In its response to Ms Quinn’s FOI request, the council said the planters had been installed as ‘a fast, cost-effective temporary way to create modal filters’.
The measures are intended to permit authorised vehicles to pass, including eligible buses, bicycles and mobility scooters.
However, a 2022 road safety audit commissioned by the council warned that the LTN could increase the risk of ‘head-on type collisions’. Motorists who did not realise the restrictions were in place were seen carrying out U-turns to avoid the closure.
The report also recorded ‘unsafe manoeuvres and sudden braking [sic]’.
Some lorry and bus drivers were reportedly forced to ‘mount the footway or overrun the centre line’.
Engineers recommended reviewing the LTN to determine whether the safety concerns could be addressed.
Haringey Council rejected the suggestion that the scheme had raised £9million in penalties, reiterating that it had collected ‘about £2million’ since the LTN began.
A spokesperson said: ‘The figures quoted are wholly inaccurate, as motorists can choose to pay the PCN at a reduced 50 per cent rate, penalty charges are higher than when the scheme was introduced, and drivers may challenge a fine.’
They added: ‘We introduced our low-traffic neighbourhoods so that the whole community can benefit from cleaner air and safer streets.
‘The LTN filters are clearly signposted on both sides of the road and on the planters themselves.
‘We recognise that driving is essential for some people, which is why exemptions are available to more than 15,000 residents, including blue-badge holders.’
La Rose Lane was renamed in 2023, following the Black Lives Matter protests that took place after George Floyd’s death in 2020. The new name honours black poet John La Rose.
All six of Croydon’s low-traffic neighbourhoods have since been removed following a High Court ruling
Several other London low-traffic neighbourhoods have also generated substantial sums through traffic fines.
Between November 2023 and February 2026, Croydon Council collected more than £13million in penalties across six LTNs, equivalent to roughly £300,000 each month.
The controversy ultimately reached the High Court, which ruled that the traffic schemes were unlawful and found they had been implemented primarily as a means of raising money.
Croydon Council subsequently withdrew all six LTNs. Yet figures released in August 2026 showed that only four per cent of the millions collected had been refunded to affected motorists.
Just £520,951 had been returned to drivers who received fines.