Dumped cars clean-up could cost taxpayers

A fall in scrap metal prices, dealers charging to take old vehicles instead of accepting them in part exchange, plus a new 100 fee to dismantle wrecks, is likely to bring a surge of eyesores abandoned on the roadside.

To combat the problem, the Government is asking local authorities to give their views on its plan to impound abandoned cars after 24 hours, instead of the current seven days, thus clearing the roads more quickly.

Rother District Council cabinet members agreed on Monday (jan 21) to support the proposals, but were concerned that a depot would have to be built and staffed for what is expected to be a huge rise in the number of abandoned cars awaiting destruction. The taxpayer would foot the bill.

If cars were impounded after only 24 hours, it would push up the numbers taken to council premises to an impossible high. Latest figures show Rother paid for 336 cars to be removed from April 2000 to March 2001, costing taxpayers 8,400. New price laws proposed would increase the cost per car fourfold.

The Government wants to change the seven-day law in April and also introduce a new charge of 100 for dismantling a car, costing councils thousands of pounds a year.

Coun Robin Patten said the council would have to find a holding site for the dumped cars and make sure it was secure.

Director of community services, Tony Leonard, said it was too early to predict how much the scheme will cost tax payers.

Coun Brian Kentfield said the system of car registration would need to be tightened if the DVLA were to track owners of unregistered, untaxed abandoned cars, so that the police could prosecute.

Old cars are deemed hazardous waste and dumpers can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to 20,000, if they can be traced.