Vehicles identified as abandoned by estate staff and our Neighbourhood Team colleagues are reported to Highways who will visit the vehicle concerned and place a 'sticker' Notification on the vehicle. The notice gives 7 days for owners to claim the vehicle before it is removed by the Council's Highway Section. Dangerous vehicles are removed within 24 hours.
The number of vehicles reported has fallen considerably from 934 in 2000/01 to 143 in 2008/09 (shown below).
The substantial decline in the incidence of vehicle abandonment is thought to be due to the effects of steel market price rises over recent years having a significant affect on people’s propensity to dispose of redundant vehicles for scrap as it attracts a positive value. The tightening of VOSA regulations has also ensured vehicle owners dispose of their vehicles properly by declaring SORN to avoid facing a penalty.