“This is a valuable opportunity … to improve road safety for everyone,” said Councillor Moses Crook, Kirklees’ deputy leader and transport lead, during the council’s summer consultation on enforcement. Ministers have now signed a legal order that lets Calderdale, Kirklees and Knowsley issue civil penalties for moving traffic offences from 9 December 2025, alongside Brighton & Hove, Cornwall, Dorset, Milton Keynes and Slough. The instrument was signed by Department for Transport minister Keir Mather.

The powers sit under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 and allow councils outside London to enforce restrictions such as yellow box junctions, banned turns, no‑entry signs, weight limits, bus gates and school‑street closures using approved cameras. Outside London the standard penalty is set at £70, reduced by 50% if paid promptly, and government guidance expects councils to issue warning notices for a driver’s first contravention at a new camera site for the first six months.

Calderdale has been preparing for this step since filing its application with the DfT on 5 July 2024. The council says enforcement will help cut congestion, improve bus reliability and make walking and cycling safer. Separately, Calderdale plans to begin ANPR bus‑lane enforcement at seven locations in early 2026, after Cabinet approval earlier this year.

Kirklees consulted residents over a trial list that includes sites in Armitage Bridge, Flockton, Mirfield, Milnsbridge and Lindley, plus yellow boxes at Heckmondwike Bus Station. Officials say cameras will be used only where there is a clear safety or network need, with six‑month warning letters before full fines kick in at each camera.

Knowsley focused its consultation on long‑standing HGV weight‑limit breaches on Shevington’s Lane, Headbolt Lane and Hall Lane in Kirkby. If the council proceeds, initial enforcement would start in early 2026 and carry a £70 Penalty Charge Notice, discounted to £35 if paid within 14 days, with a six‑month warning period for first offences.

Beyond the North, Brighton & Hove has signalled it will use the same powers to keep school‑street closures safe, with residents told to expect a six‑month warning phase and likely go‑live in early 2026 if the DfT signs off. The new national order also tidies up older parking designations in East Sussex.

For drivers, nothing changes about speed enforcement or police powers. But where council cameras do go live, expect clearer signs, certified equipment and PCNs served by post to the registered keeper. Anyone who believes a PCN is wrong can make representations and, if rejected, appeal for free to the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

This week’s move continues a steady rollout: dozens of authorities were designated in 2023 and 2024, and DfT guidance is explicit that penalties are about compliance, not revenue. Any surplus must be used in line with the regulations for transport or environmental improvements.

Key dates now matter. The new order comes into force on Tuesday 9 December 2025. Councils will phase sites in, publish locations and signage, issue warnings for six months at each camera and then begin full enforcement. If you do receive a PCN, the 50% discount window makes quick decisions worthwhile.