Environmental Services

Abandoned Vehicle Removal Service

How can i report an abandoned vehicle?

To find out more information on how to report an abandoned vehicle and what information the Council needs please click here.

Can the Council dispose of an unwanted vehicle for me?

Yes. If you are the registered keeper and have the registration document available you will be asked to sign a document giving the council permission to dispose of the vehicle. A fee (currently £35.25) is charged for this service. The Council will arrange to have the vehicle collected.

What to do if you believe your vehicle has been removed by the council as an abandoned vehicle?

Telephone 01234 221768 or 0800 121 8888 as soon as possible and make sure you have full details of the vehicle available.

If the vehicle is in reasonably good condition and registered with DVLA it will have been placed into storage and you will be able to recover it. In order to recover the vehicle you will need the following:
            The registration document (log book) showing that you are the registered keeper
            Your valid ID (passport, photocard drivers license, rent book or bank statement)
            The payment of a fee (currently £150 in most cases).

If you are the registered keeper the council will write to you to inform you that your vehicle has been impounded. You then have 7 days in which to recover it. If you wish the council to dispose of the vehicle on your behalf a smaller charge may sometimes apply, please contact us on the details above to find out more about this service.

If you are not the registered keeper of the vehicle you may need to contact a solicitor before you can recover the vehicle. If you wish to recover property from within the vehicle you will normally need to recover the vehicle first.

IMPORTANT: If you do recover a vehicle please make sure it is not returned to the highway until it is taxed – otherwise it may be removed again.

If the vehicle is not in good condition or has no current registered keeper it will probably have been destroyed upon removal. PLEASE NOTE: The Council now has the power to do this without giving the registered keeper any warning. Similarly, when the Council removes an abandoned vehicle from a public or private road no warning will be given.

If the vehicle is parked on private land a warning will be given to the owner or occupier of the private land, not to the registered keeper of the vehicle.

REMEMBER: abandoning a vehicle is a criminal offence and you could be prosecuted. The offence carries a maximum fine of £2500 or 3 months imprisonment.

If you no longer want your vehicle or it is not worth repairing look in your local telephone directory for scrap yards and dealers. They will, in most cases, collect your car and dispose of it for you and you may even get a bit of money back!

SERVICES A-Z

Abandoned Vehicles

Reporting an Abandoned Vehicle
Vehicles