Press Release

28 January 2022

Council cracking down on abandoned vehicles

Fareham Borough Council is cracking down on abandoned vehicles around the Borough after a sharp rise in reports.

A vehicle can be classed as abandoned if it is stored on land without the authority of the landowner or any land which forms part of the highway. The Council is able to use its licensing and regulatory powers to remove these vehicles, but it needs the help of Fareham residents to identify them.

If you suspect that a vehicle has been abandoned, you can check its current status on the DVLA website:

https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla

Once a complaint is received, the Council will visit the site and a statutory notice will be issued if appropriate. If a vehicle is deemed to be abandoned, checks are undertaken to ascertain whether the owner can be traced and endeavours are made to contact the owner, who can then be charged for action taken in respect of the vehicle.

Depending upon the type of notice served on the vehicle and/or the progress of the ownership checks, the vehicle can then be removed and either stored or scrapped depending upon its condition.

Executive Member for Health and Public Protection, Cllr Trevor Cartwright said: "Abandoned vehicles are a growing issue in the Borough and I encourage residents to report any vehicle which they suspect has been abandoned. Part of this problem is related to unscrupulous business owners parking unregistered or SORN vehicles on the highway, which cannot be tolerated. Not only are our roads not appropriate for illegal car storage, but these vehicles make travelling and parking more difficult for residents and car owners who do tax, insure and MoT their vehicles.”

If you would like to report an abandoned vehicle, please fill in a short form and upload an image on the Council’s website:

https://www.fareham.gov.uk/clean_and_tidy/abandoned_vehicles/intro.aspx

ENDS