What's it Like to Live on the Nation's Most Fined Street?
Imperial Road residents have range of views on camera restrictions
Over 800 fines were issued on the road by one camera in a single day
March 27, 2025
Residents in one of the borough’s clear air neighbourhoods are split – with some claiming that living in the area has become a “nightmare” since the scheme came into force.
A recently published Freedom of Information request led to the claim that two cameras on Imperial Road broke the national record for the record number of fines issued in a single day.
Homeowners along the street in south Fulham said they’re woken at all hours of the night and fear crossing the road due to what they say are “boy racers.”
Elanor Donoghue, who has lived in Imperial Square for four years, said these motorists are more noticeable now the council’s clean air scheme, known as the South Fulham Clear Air Neighbourhood, came into effect. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), “You get these boy racers racing down the road in their souped-up cars. They’re so loud. I would like to know why they’re not getting caught.
“It’s a joke and I would love for them to catch people who flagrantly disobey the rules. It’s anti-social behaviour”.
The 71-year-old said everyday drivers are also being caught out by the scheme, which was introduced by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in December 2021 to reduce rat-runs and improve air quality. She said drivers are often oblivious to the scheme when they turn into Imperial Road and perform dangerous U-turns to avoid a £65 fine.
Elanor Donoghue, 71, called the scheme 'a joke'
When the LDRS visited last week, it saw a driver narrowly miss being rammed by a van when he stopped suddenly and performed a three-point turn to leave the street. Elanor said, “It’s a nightmare. People who don’t know what’s up ahead get caught out. How can they turn around? It feels like entrapment.”
According to Hammersmith and Fulham Council, the scheme has seen 15,000 fewer cars per day using residential streets as cut-throughs in South Fulham. The local authority also credits the scheme for an estimated 2-tonne reduction in carbon emissions and 1.4 tonnes of nitrogen oxide every day.
Motorists are fined £130 if driving inside both areas of the South Fulham Clear Air Neighbourhood although the charge is halved if paid promptly. The eastern leg covers traffic between Wandsworth Bridge Road and Imperial Road while the western leg, which was introduced in March 2024, covers large swathes of Hurlingham.
Some residents said the camera on Imperial Road, has improved air quality in the area
Residents can travel freely within the zone while exemptions are made for visitors, tradespeople as well as Uber and Bolt drivers. A resident who didn’t want to be named but has lived in the area for 40 years said cut-throughs were so bad she would move her car to a pay-to-park station overnight on the King’s Road.
She said rat-runs have dropped dramatically since the clean air neighbourhood project was introduced but feared traffic and pollution was simply being redirected elsewhere in the borough. She said, “I get what they’re trying to do but it doesn’t work. The whole thing is ridiculous because this road isn’t used as a main road.
“The Wandsworth Bridge Road is run down and filled with traffic. What that’s done to businesses and to households is unbelievable. Anyone who wants to cross the River [Thames] can’t.”
Others were less critical. Sam, who walks his young nephew home from school twice a week, said any initiative which reduces the number of cars on London’s road was a positive. He said: “From what I’m seeing, the traffic isn’t that high. Having low traffic neighbourhoods is important.
“I’m always worried about crossing the road so fewer cars are better. If it gets fewer cars on the road, the better.” Otis, who has lived behind Imperial Road for 20 years, said he liked the scheme.
He said, “I think it’s the way forward. Everything is blatantly better now it’s in place, from the air to traffic.” Otis said more should be done to warn drivers they’re entering a clean air neighbourhood and claimed many of the ‘boy racers’ were residents living at the wealthier end of Imperial Road trying to get home.
Sam (left) and Otis (right) had a more positive view of the restrictions
The Met said it is aware how distressing anti-social behaviour can be for local residents and urged them to report any concerns to police so they can investigate.
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said, “Since the recent clean air trial began, fines have tumbled by more than 80% as predicted and pollution from congestion has become a thing of the past in residential streets, which are now quieter, cleaner and safer.
“Any surplus from the fines goes into our ambitious programme of hundreds more trees, new safe cycle routes, better flood drainage and green landscaping, and encouraging play streets and cafe culture – all to make Hammersmith & Fulham the best place to live, shop and work.”
All residents in Hammersmith and Fulham can give free access through the cameras to as many visitors a day as they want using a Residents Visitor Permit, a council website shows. Tradespeople can use RingGo while Uber and Bolt private hire drivers can go through the cameras to pick-up and drop-off passengers in the area.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council said before the scheme was introduced, 90per cent of traffic was made up of out-of-borough motorists largely from Surrey, Hampshire and the A3 corridor. They said the problem only got worse when satnav systems because directing arterial traffic to cut through narrow residential streets.
The scheme used the latest Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology. Out-of-borough drivers must pay £65 in 14 days or face a full charge of £130. Last year, the council made almost £12 million from its Clean Air Neighbourhoods (CAN) in south Fulham.
A portion went on overhead and maintenance costs while another £3m was spent on a range of healthy streets and environmental projects.
Adrian Zorzut - Local Democracy Reporter
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