Nuisance vehicles
Most parking problems are caused by the simple fact that there are too many cars for the parking that is available. However, some parking problems are caused by people breaking the law and when this happens, the council or the police can take action.
Selling vehicles on the road
The offence of selling vehicles on the road is intended to target those people who run a business selling motor vehicles and use the road as a mock showroom. This behaviour is unfair to local residents and neighbouring businesses who are thereby deprived of using the road themselves to park vehicles and go about their daily lives.
A person commits an offence if he leaves two or more motor vehicles parked within 500 metres of each other on a road or roads where they are exposed or advertised for sale for the purposes of a business of selling motor vehicles. It is not intended to target occasional individual private sellers of single vehicles.
However, since 2011, if you want to sell, expose or offer for sale any article, including motor vehicles, in a street then you must have a street trading licence or street trading consent, whether the vehicle is being sold by a trader or a private individual. The only exception being, offering your personal vehicle for sale outside your own home.
If you discover such as offence taking place, contact Trading Standards.
Repairing vehicles on the road
The offence of repairing a vehicle is also aimed primarily at those that act irresponsibly as part of a business and who are attempting to use the road as a mock workshop.
The law does not apply to private individuals who are carrying out minor work to their vehicles or those who carry out necessary work to vehicles by the side of the road in order to get them moving again after a breakdown or accident.
If you discover a motor trader committing such as offence please contact Trading Standards.
If your complaint is in relation to a private individual repairing vehicles on the road and “where the carrying out of the repairs gave reasonable cause for annoyance to persons in the vicinity”, please contact Environmental Health.
Commercial vehicles
We have established a new policy, which tackles nuisance parking of lorries and buses. It is a condition of the licence granted by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner that all commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must have an operational base. However, inconsiderate drivers sometimes ignore this rule and park in residential areas.
If there is a persistent problem, we can make an order that prevents the parking of nuisance commercial vehicles. Orders are normally approved in 'zones' and are only granted after consultation with residents and local members and after an investigation to see if they are appropriate.
If a lorry or bus is being parked and is causing a nuisance to you call our Highways Customer Care line on 01443 866511. Alternatively contact the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA) on 08706 060440.