Hove car pound set to shut in council plan

6:57pm Thursday 28th February 2013 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter

Illegally-parked cars causing obstructions to other motorists will be coming to a street near you.

As it looks to save money, Brighton and Hove City Council has announced it will shut its vehicle pound.

Local authority bosses believe the current policy of towing vehicles and keeping them locked up in an off-street yard is “too harsh”.

Instead, from July, illegally-parked vehicles will be moved to an available bay in a nearby street, which bosses think will save it £130,000 a year.

But some motorists expressed fears the lifting of the deterrent will mean more drivers would flout the law.

Ian Davey, the chairman of the council’s transport committee, said: “We’ve always maintained we want to make the parking rules fairer.

“Saving so much money while also scrapping the recovery fee is a win-win for residents and drivers.”

In 2011/12, 896 vehicles were taken to the council’s pound in Sackville Road.

To release cars, motorists have to pay a fee of £105 plus £12 a day in storage costs.

This is in addition to the original parking fine of either £50 or £75.

Under the new scheme, which was trialled last year, there will be no release fee or storage costs.

However drivers will still have to pay the parking fine.

Enforcement officers will issue an additional ticket every day the vehicles remain uncollected to prevent long-term abandonments.

A council spokesman said the majority of cars are traced after drivers call Sussex Police, which has access to the local authority log.

Motoring lobbyist Steve Percy, who sits on the city’s transport partnership, said: “It may be fair for those breaking the law but I do not think it’s fair on the rest of the motorists.

“If there is not the deterrent of towing away, people will park anywhere knowing they can get away with it.”

A decision on introducing the new scheme will be taken at the transport committee meeting on Tuesday.

It is part of a wider parking enforcement contract with NSL, which is expected to be re-appointed for a further three years.

The new deal is expected to save £400,000 annually, including £100,000 in IT costs.

Anyone concerned about cars abandoned in their street can call 01273 292929 or email abandoned.vehicles@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

 

Comments(16)

mimseycal says...
7:25pm Thu 28 Feb 13

Towing illegally parked cars to a legal bay? Why have a car pound when you have a city ...

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fred clause says...
7:26pm Thu 28 Feb 13

Another pointless green idea either use the truck or don't this is typical green flannel and a total waste of time.

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rolivan says...
7:41pm Thu 28 Feb 13

I take it they mean vehicles parked on double yellows and not in parking bays otherwise they are just playing musical chairs.There is also the risk of damage to vehicles parked next to those illegally parked whilst moving.Will videos be taken during each exercise?

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Idontbelieveit1948 says...
8:18pm Thu 28 Feb 13

Why not use one of Caroline's gardens ?

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kkj says...
9:34pm Thu 28 Feb 13

I thought they were supposed to be saving pounds?

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Hove Actually says...
9:34pm Thu 28 Feb 13

If it is moved by the council to a bay where another ticket is issued will the council will be liable to pay them as THEY were the ones who left the car there?

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mark by the sea says...
10:27pm Thu 28 Feb 13

Who is paying for the lorry? To move a car will cost £60 say? So council will lose out big time!

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mimseycal says...
10:47pm Thu 28 Feb 13

mark by the sea wrote:
Who is paying for the lorry? To move a car will cost £60 say? So council will lose out big time!
That'll be privatised I dare say

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bug eye says...
10:50pm Thu 28 Feb 13

sounds common sense to me, the obstruction is moved and the council save money. The original perpetrator still has the inconvenience trying to locate the car and a fine, more than some criminals get. and without the over the top fine paid to a private company and the inconvenience of trecking to a remote car pound etc. lets face it usually for a minor parking offence it was a bit OTT.

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mimseycal says...
10:58pm Thu 28 Feb 13

bug eye wrote:
sounds common sense to me, the obstruction is moved and the council save money. The original perpetrator still has the inconvenience trying to locate the car and a fine, more than some criminals get. and without the over the top fine paid to a private company and the inconvenience of trecking to a remote car pound etc. lets face it usually for a minor parking offence it was a bit OTT.
Try and find a legal bay in the vicinity? A tow truck with car trundling through the streets of Brighton looking for a legal parking spot?

Yup ... perfect sense

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mimseycal says...
10:58pm Thu 28 Feb 13

bug eye wrote:
sounds common sense to me, the obstruction is moved and the council save money. The original perpetrator still has the inconvenience trying to locate the car and a fine, more than some criminals get. and without the over the top fine paid to a private company and the inconvenience of trecking to a remote car pound etc. lets face it usually for a minor parking offence it was a bit OTT.
Try and find a legal bay in the vicinity? A tow truck with car trundling through the streets of Brighton looking for a legal parking spot?

Yup ... perfect sense

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
6:47am Fri 1 Mar 13

This is the council which killed fish in a park so what's the betting they put a car in a bay and then forget where it is and six months later the owner is suing the council.
This current lot couldn't look after a school guinea pig during the holidays.

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qm says...
8:23am Fri 1 Mar 13

Not sure that I see the point in moving a car to release a parking space if the result is to engage a parking space elsewhere. That's just playing musical chairs with parking spaces at considerable cost!
Dispense with the 'tow truck', levy a fine, a further daily penalty topped of by the statutory parking charges! Cost? Administration only which with a little programming could be administered by ONE person (yes one!) and golly gee, what do you need a manager for? (The administrator could tick any requisite boxes!!)

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Phani Tikkala says...
8:29am Fri 1 Mar 13

£100,000 on IT costs to run a car pound?

Where do they find these people? No wonder we're in a mess.

Another reason not to vote Green (as if there weren't enough already)

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Barry Trotter says...
8:41am Fri 1 Mar 13

I thought this sort of arrangement where you leave your car for someone else to park it was called valet parking?

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mickeyflick says...
5:20pm Fri 1 Mar 13

free for all parking,,,, and most of the illegal parkers won't care, because they never pay their parking tickets anyway,

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