Untaxed vehicles

It is an offence to leave a vehicle on the public highway which is not taxed.

This offence is the responsibility of the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and you can report unlicensed vehicles on their website.

The council will not act on a report that a vehicle is 'untaxed' in this way; we will only act if the vehicle is 'abandoned'.

Unwanted vehicles

Public streets are for the passage of people and traffic and no one has a right to park on any specific part of the highway. You have no right to park your car (or any other possession including trailers, caravans or boats) on the road outside your front door and the council is under no obligation to provide you with a space.

Technically, parking is an obstruction of the highway unless the council makes provision for parking by introducing parking bays. Conditions may be applied to the parking bays, e.g. time limit, payment, permit holders only, goods vehicles only etc.

The council cannot reserve the area outside specific properties for the owners of the property. This would give private rights over what is a public asset and would be unfair in respect of those properties where adjacent parking places cannot be provided.

Acting under various Acts of Parliament, councils are able to take action where vehicles have been left on the road.