Under the provisions of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978, it is the duty of the local authority to remove any vehicle abandoned in the open air or on any part of the highway. It is also an offence under the Act for any person to abandon such a vehicle.
General facts
The number of vehicles having to be removed and disposed of over the last few years has decreased with the rising value of scrap metal. In 2003/4, 665 vehicles were removed, in 2006/7,this had reduced to 144.This decrease is expected to continue as the value of scrap metal remains high. All vehicles are removed by this Councils contractors Copart UK following which they are all De polluted before destruction and the materials recycled in line with the 'End of Life' Vehicle Directive.
Collection and removal of vehicles
If you have a vehicle that you wish to dispose of, this Council does offer a removal service for a small charge, currently £26.00 including VAT.
Persons requesting the removal and destruction of a vehicle should complete the form and return it with the correct fee and the vehicle log book to the Environmental Services Department or contact 01727-819391. Applications will only be accepted if accompanied by the Registration/Log Book or some other proof of ownership.
Reporting an Abandoned Vehicle
For a vehicle to be considered abandoned it must be untaxed and on the road, it cannot be on private property, and must not have moved for at least two weeks. If you believe a vehicle has been abandoned please contact 01727 - 819391 or email environmental@stalbans.gov.uk.
If a vehicle is untaxed it can be reported to the DVLA UNTAXED VEHICLE HOTLINE on 0800 032 5202.
Date of last review: 28 August 2008