Opinion: Concerns over Penalty Charge Notice enforcement (PCN) at Salter’s Hill, Lambeth
A local resident contacted Brixton Buzz to voice their concerns about Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) being issued in Lambeth. We’ve reproduced their message below – and feel free to tell …
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A local resident contacted Brixton Buzz to voice their concerns about Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) being issued in Lambeth.
We’ve reproduced their message below – and feel free to tell us what you think in the comments box below.
I am writing to bring to your attention serious concerns regarding Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) enforcement at Salter’s Hill in the London Borough of Lambeth.
In February 2026, I was issued with a PCN for the alleged contravention of “failing to give way to oncoming vehicles” (contravention 37J).
However, I have since received written confirmation from Lambeth Parking Services, dated 28 April 2026, that this PCN has been cancelled.
While I welcome the cancellation, it raises significant questions about the legitimacy of enforcement at this location.
The decision suggests that fines may be issued without adequate consideration of key factors, including the speed and distance of oncoming traffic—elements that are fundamental in determining whether a contravention has actually occurred.
This case appears not to be isolated. There is growing evidence that some local authorities, under financial pressure, are resorting to increasingly aggressive—and at times questionable—enforcement practices to generate revenue
. I would highlight both Lambeth and Croydon councils’ use of controversial traffic measures, including Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and heavily enforced yellow box junctions, as examples that have attracted resent public concern and publicity.
This trend is deeply damaging to public trust and undermines confidence in both local governance and the fairness of the regulatory system.
Research based on Freedom of Information data indicates that Lambeth Council has generated in excess of £5.1 million from PCNs issued at Salter’s Hill, between November 2015 and March 2023, predominantly for contravention 37J.
The volume and consistency of enforcement have led to the location being widely described as a “cash cow” for the council.
Such figures raise important public interest questions: whether enforcement practices at this site are fair and lawful, or whether they are disproportionately driven by revenue generation. If my experience is representative of a wider pattern, then many motorists may have been penalised unjustly.
There are also concerns regarding accountability. When I attempted to pursue a complaint through Lambeth Council, I was directed back to the same department responsible for issuing the PCNs, raising issues around transparency and the absence of independent oversight.
Given the scale of revenue involved and the potential implications for public trust, I believe this matter warrants urgent media scrutiny. It also sits within a broader context of increasing concern about local authority enforcement practices across London.
I have urged my local MP Steve Reed to bring this issue up in Parliament as a matter of urgency.
