The court ruling that ended six LTNs in March has left a £3m hole in Croydon's parking budget. Drivers fined on those streets can still claim refunds online.

The High Court ruling that ended six of Croydon’s low traffic neighbourhoods has left a £3m gap in the council’s parking budget this year. The figure is in the council’s latest finance report, which Cabinet noted on 23 September (Period 3 Financial Performance Report).

The council has found £1.8m of savings elsewhere in the service to set against it. That still leaves a forecast gap of £1.2m in Parking Services by the end of March 2027.

Drivers fined on the six streets can still apply for a Croydon LTN refund. How to claim is set out at the end of this article.

What the court decided

Mr Justice Pepperall quashed the traffic orders for the six schemes on 4 March 2026 (R (Lawrence) v London Borough of Croydon [2026] EWHC 483 (Admin)). The orders had made the schemes permanent in 2024.

The judge found the schemes “were introduced for the illegitimate purpose of raising revenue”. He said the “dominant purpose” was “the need to safeguard the revenue raised by enforcement”. Road safety and health benefits in the officer’s report were real but, in his words, “perhaps modest”.

The six schemes were:

  • Albert Road
  • Dalmally Road
  • Elmers Road
  • Holmesdale Road
  • Parsons Mead
  • Sutherland Road

The council decided not to appeal. The Executive Mayor, Jason Perry, said the schemes were removed “with immediate effect” and enforcement stopped on the affected streets (council statement).

Bar chart of Croydon's Parking Services forecast for 2026-27 at Period 3. The court judgement ending six low traffic neighbourhoods created a £3.0 million pressure. The council has found £1.8 million of savings, leaving a forecast gap of £1.2 million
Parking Services, 2026-27 forecast. Chart by Croydon Today, from the council's Period 3 finance report.
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Where the council’s budget stands

The parking gap is one line in a wider forecast. At the end of June, the council expected to overspend its £485.4m day-to-day budget by £2.3m. That is £0.8m better than a month earlier.

Area Net budget Forecast over (+) or under (-)
Children, Young People and Education £165.1m +£3.4m
Place (includes parking) £76.8m +£2.0m
Housing £65.3m on budget
Resources £26.9m on budget
Assistant Chief Executive £19.9m -£0.3m
Adult Social Care and Health £204.1m -£1.2m
Corporate items and funding -£72.7m -£1.6m
Total £485.4m +£2.3m

Other points from the report:

  • Savings: £26.5m of this year’s £34.7m savings target is forecast to be delivered, or 76.4%.
  • Government support: the budget only balances with £119m of capitalisation directions, government permission to use borrowing or asset sales for day-to-day costs.
  • Temporary accommodation: 3,283 homeless households were in temporary accommodation at the end of June, 1,930 of them in nightly paid rooms. The report says a housing benefit subsidy rule frozen at 2011 rates costs Croydon about £45m a year.
  • Council homes: the housing revenue account, which pays for council housing, is forecast to overspend by £3.9m. Responsive repairs are £2.8m over, and the report says the council faces “a significant number of disrepair claims”.
  • Schools: special educational needs spending is forecast £45m over its grant again. We reported on that deficit earlier this month.

What the report does not say

When the refund scheme opened, the council said the total refunded “will be reported in future Cabinet and Scrutiny and Overview Committee reports” (refund page). The Period 3 report does not give that total, or the number of claims.

The council has said refunds will come from existing budgets. “You will not have to pay more council tax,” its refund page says.

What it means for you

  • If you were fined on one of the six streets between 30 March 2024 and 4 March 2026, you can still ask for your money back. The refund request form was online when we checked today.
  • Refunds are not automatic. The council checks your address, bank details and vehicle details before paying.
  • Fines from before 30 March 2024 are not refundable. The judgment only quashed the February 2024 decision that made the schemes permanent.
  • School Street fines are separate and are not covered.
  • If you rent from the council, the repairs overspend matters. Awaab’s Law Part 2 comes into force on 30 November 2026 and widens the hazards landlords must fix within strict deadlines,, the report notes.
  • For current permits and charges, see our guide to parking in Croydon.

Sources