Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Croydon Council announced plans to remove vehicles with covered or obscured number plates as part of its enforcement drive to tackle illegal parking.
The action targets cars with concealed license plates that are left on public roads. This is a common method used to avoid paying Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) and purchasing parking permits, or to keep the car on the road while repairs are being done or it is being offered for sale.
Jason Perry, executive mayor of Croydon, said:
“Over the past year we have removed many cars from the borough’s streets that have been abandoned.
We are now also focusing on those cars that have their identities deliberately hidden.
It is not fair that some residents struggle to find parking spaces because unidentifiable cars are in their place, nor is it fair that others are getting away with not paying for parking in controlled parking areas.
Croydon will no longer be seen as a soft touch for people to commit antisocial acts. If you do not pay your way, you should expect your car to be taken away.”
These cars are frequently left on the road while they are being repaired or put up for sale.
The council’s most recent enforcement action is a part of a larger plan to address antisocial behavior and guarantee that repeat offenders are held accountable.
The practice of hiding a vehicle’s registration is becoming more and more common across the country, as drivers share advice online and hide, modify, or remove license plates.
In Croydon, cars that don’t have their registration on display are given a 24-hour warning to show who they are.
The council will remove the car if it is not in compliance within that time frame.
A £280 release fee and a £55 daily storage cost must be paid by the owner in order to retrieve a removed car.
The car will be sold or disposed of if it is not claimed after 28 days.
In addition to freeing up parking spots for law-abiding citizens, the council believes the crackdown would discourage criminal activity.
Similar steps are taken by the initiative to get rid of abandoned cars.
What powers does Croydon Council have to remove vehicles that have covered number plates?
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 and the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 gives the council the powers to remove vehicles deemed abandoned, and in this case vehicles that have no number plates, missing number plates or obstructed number plates.
Removal of vehicles that are deemed as being abandoned can be done without notice if they are hazardous or causing a serious nuisance, otherwise where vehicles are deemed truly abandoned, a notice period of maybe 7 or 15 days is normally undertaken, with the expectation that the vehicle will be claimed or taken away by the owner.
If the vehicle is on private land we have to serve notices to land developers and possible removal from there if abandoned and unclaimed from the actual owners.