Drivers caught leaving their engines running unnecessarily will receive £20 fines as part of a scheme “educating people to do the right thing”. 

Cabinet members agreed a report on Wednesday (November 9) recommending the council begin issuing fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to those idling and contributing to poor local air quality. 

There are instances when leaving the engine running is permitted, including when queuing at traffic lights, and when it is being used to trace a defect. 

For those caught, the fine will start at £20, though can be upped to £40 if not paid within 28 days. 

Councillors largely welcomed the report, with deputy leader Cllr Gillian Ford describing idling as “a bugbear of mine for a long time”. 

Cllr Ford paid particular reference to “the local secondary school, the parents sitting there in their 4X4s with the engine running at the end of the school day, not having care or attention to the people living close by”. 

“We’ve got to be seen to be trying,” she added. 

But Cllr Martin Goode, leader of the East Havering Residents’ Group queried how likely regular enforcement will be. 

He said “a hell of a lot” of people will slip through the net, “purely because enforcement officers can’t be everywhere at the same time”. 

He added: “I welcome the idea, I welcome the fact they’re going to be issuing more fines, but again you need a massive recruitment programme.” 

The scheme is part of the Mayor of London’s Idling Action London project, initiated in 2019, which the report refers to as “largely a behaviour change campaign”. 

Council leader Ray Morgon reiterated this notion, saying: “It's about educating people to do the right thing.” 

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