Westminster Council Plans Fines for Engine Revving in Soho, Mayfair, Knightsbridge

Westminster City Council is planning to extend its Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to crack down on engine revving, rapid acceleration, racing, and related anti-social vehicle behavior in affluent London areas including Soho and Mayfair. The order, which currently covers St James’s, Knightsbridge, and Belgravia, aims to address concerns about noise, public nuisance, and damage to road surfaces, particularly around Bond Street and other West End locations. Drivers caught violating the order between noon and 6 am could face £100 fines, enforced with the help of acoustic enforcement cameras. The council has issued around 350 fixed penalty notices since 2022, with many related to illegal car meets causing disturbances and safety concerns. While many of the behaviors covered are already motoring offenses enforceable only by police, the PSPO allows council workers to issue fines for public nuisance offenses. The crackdown reflects growing frustration with anti-social vehicle use disrupting local businesses and residents, with the council emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach to keeping communities safe.