Hounslow Council Raises Over £12 Million from LTNs

Over 200,000 fines issued over last two and a half years

A sign warning motorists of the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood restrictions

January 2, 2025

New figures on fines issued by London boroughs relating to Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) show that Hounslow Council has raised more than £12million over the last two and a half years.

The borough was one of 26 out of 33 London councils that responded to a Freedom of Information request from the Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA) for information on Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued since the end of financial year 2022/23.

Hounslow ranked second in the table for the amount of revenue raised with £12,804,356 behind only Hackney which brought in £14,432,165 over the same period.

The local borough issued 221,674 FPNs with a total value of £28,817,620 but less than half that amount is collected due to non-payment, appeals and the option to pay half the charge if it is settled within two weeks.

The current fine is £130 which halved to £65 if paid promptly but, as part of a range of measures to cover its funding deficit, Hounslow Council is considering increasing the amount charged.

Across London the value of fines issued exceeds £200 million with nearly 2 million given out bringing in over £85,650,751 to local authorities. The total value of fines has doubled from the previous three years when it reached £95 million.

Councils have increasingly adopted ANPR enforcement of new LTNs which accounts for the significant growth in LTNs issued.

Hackney has the highest coverage of LTNs with an estimated half of the borough’s roads within one whereas Hounslow has relatively few including the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood which brought in a total of £12,174,762 between 2021 and 2023

Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the TPA, told the Daily Mail, “Motorists will be furious at the way that low-traffic neighbourhood schemes have accelerated over the past few years as cash-hungry councils seek ever more ways to squeeze taxpayers dry.

“This can be seen in the significant increase in the value of fines levied on frequently unsuspecting drivers.

“If councils want LTNs to be viewed as productive contributions to local neighbourhoods rather than get rich quick schemes then they should drastically reform the system to ensure that fines are only levied after multiple warnings and after an extended grace period.”

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said, “Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) are installed by boroughs to help improve air quality in London, support more people to walk and cycle, and make London's roads safer.

“Overall, research shows that well-planned LTNs do not simply shift traffic from one place to another but lead to an overall reduction in motor vehicles on roads.”