Lambeth Council issues LTN fines worth £22m in year of ‘grotesque’ profiteering

Lambeth Council has been accused of "grotesque" profiteering after it issued almost £22million of low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) fines in the space of a year, writes Robert Frith.

Over 12 months the South London authority dished out 183,192 penalty charge notices. Fines for entering the low traffic zones cost £120, meaning Lambeth Council could have earned up to £21,983,040 from them in the last year.

As drivers who pay the penalty charge within two weeks have it slashed by almost half to £65, if all motorists paid in less than a fortnight Lambeth would still have raked in just under £12 million in the last 12 months.

A spokesman for anti-LTN campaign group One Lambeth told The Daily Telegraph: "It's an awful lot of money. People are struggling to pay their bills, striking because of low wages, struggling with fuel costs, so to have these fines in this excessive climate is slightly grotesque. It's an abuse of power in a climate where people are struggling financially."

In March, the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed neighbouring Southwark Council had raked in £5 million from just one traffic camera in 12 months. The local authority earned £5,114,137 from fines handed out to motorists who drove into Dulwich traffic zones between 2021 and 2022.

More than 300 car-free zones have been set up or are in the process of being installed across the UK in the last 24 months. Figures show that drivers across London were hit by more than 750,000 fines – around 80 every hour – after being snapped by LTN cameras. Many people have been snapped more than once while going down roads they've used without problem for years.

In June last year, a disabled woman lost her High Court battle against Lambeth Council over the introduction of LTNs. Sofia Sheakh had argued that the local authority failed to properly consult residents over the introduction of the zones. 

A Lambeth Council spokesperson said: "LTNs work to reduce through-traffic, lower vehicle speeds and reduce road danger at the same time as improving air quality and enabling more walking and cycling. In our borough, which has low car ownership, they also contribute to tacking health inequalities. 

"Drivers who are fined are breaking the rules. We anticipate the numbers of fines will fall as more people embrace environmentally friendly transport options, and those who have to drive follow the rules."