Brighton: Drivers face £70 fines as new road red route unveiled to tackle congestion and air pollution

Brighton and Hove City Council have approved plans for a new red route on Western Road, with the scheme set to be introduced on a six-month trial basis.

The decision was announced by Councillor Trevor Muten, the council's cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, and will see rule breakers hit with hefty fines.

The red route will cover the section of Western Road between Holland Road and Montpelier Road. Under the restrictions, drivers will not be allowed to stop, park, load or unload along the route.

Motorists who break the rules will initially receive warning letters during the first two weeks of the trial. After that, drivers could face a £70 penalty charge notice, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.

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Cameras will be used to enforce the restrictions and monitor traffic throughout the trial period.

The council said more than 1,000 people took part in a public consultation between November and January. Around 4,700 addresses were contacted directly.

Of the 1,032 responses received, 91 per cent came from local residents, while businesses accounted for just 3 per cent.

The consultation found broad support for the plans. Half of respondents said they believed the scheme would improve safety. Meanwhile, 56 per cent thought it would improve traffic flow and 53 per cent expected bus journeys to become faster.

However, some local businesses remain strongly opposed. Florian Florists launched a petition against the scheme after the council approved the Western Road plans in March last year. The petition attracted 1,690 signatures.

In response to concerns from traders, the council has agreed to create 10 new loading bays along Western Road. Altogether, 140 metres of road space will be available for commercial loading.

The authority will also add 10 extra disabled parking spaces on Western Road and nearby side streets. The changes come after problems were reported when red routes were introduced on London Road. Some businesses complained that loading bays were too small for delivery vehicles.

Mr McDonald's explained that even its smallest delivery vehicles could not fit into a loading bay outside one of its restaurants.

The council has not yet confirmed when the Western Road scheme will begin because work on the new loading bays and disabled parking spaces has not been completed.

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Council officials pointed to what they describe as positive results from red routes already operating on London Road, Preston Road and Lewes Road.

According to council figures, the number of injury collisions on those routes has fallen in recent years. There were 31 accidents involving slight or serious injuries in the year to April 2024. That figure dropped to 19 in the following year and then to 17 in the year ending April 2026.

The council also said air quality has improved since the routes were introduced. Monitoring equipment recorded lower levels of nitrogen dioxide within six months of the schemes being launched, with further improvements seen over the following year.

Traffic and pedestrian numbers on London Road have also increased. Annual movements rose from 4.78 million in the year to April 2024 to 4.89 million in the year to April 2025.

The Western Road project is part of the council's Bus Service Improvement Plan and is being funded through a £3.2million Government grant. Around £200,000 has been set aside for the scheme.

Brighton and Hove Buses has previously reported improvements to service reliability on existing red route corridors. Explaining the decision, the council said Western Road is one of the city's busiest bus routes and that illegally parked vehicles can cause delays.

A council statement said: "Bus journey times through this corridor can be affected by parking on double yellow lines on both sides of the road.

"The purpose of the red route is to relieve congestion and make the area safer for drivers, bus passengers and cyclists, which can also encourage active travel."

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