Wheel clamping on private land (and towing away) is to be banned by the coalition government. We had a commitment to tackle rogue wheel clampers in the coalition agreement – and now we are able to take this forward.
It falls in my portfolio at the Home Office. Immobilisation has always had a track record of grief and misery. There cannot be an MP in the land who has not had constituents come to them who have been clamped ‘unfairly’. The complaints that have come in to the Home Office are tales of exorbitant fees, abusive behaviour, signage being invisible and so on.
In a recent adjournment debate I recall that examples were given of a disabled motorist being frog marched to a cash point in the middle of a freezing night to get cash to pay the release fee.
Of course, landowners have a right to stop people parking on their land – but no longer by clamping. In Scotland – where clamping was banned nearly twenty years ago (very successfully) landowners either protect their land by barrier methods or introduce ticketing.
Over time, everyone has tried to make this system work – but it just hasn’t. Individuals have had to be licensed – but that hasn’t stopped sharp practise. The latest thinking (before the ban) was to introduce an independent appeals authority – so that aggrieved motorist could appeal the fee etc. But that would cost £2million to set up and thereafter have to be funded by the public through the fees and just perpetuating a flawed system.
Cars that are parked dangerously on private land – for example – blocking the entrance to a hospital or such like will be towed by the police. However, the police powers are for exceptional circumstances only.
This does need legislation and so it will be brought in as part of the Freedom Bill in November hopefully – and then come into force as soon after the passage of the Bill as possible.
Lynne Featherstone 
It means that landowners must now actively protect their land instead of giving free reign to rogue clampers, I own land I’ve taken action to prevent people I don’t want using it!
Also people who own land or properties have obligations to adminster their assets, putting barriers, posts or fencing and gates will help them in this case. Really its not rocket science, and if people put some thought to it, most situations have a solution, thanks for the inane comment !
for taffy,
I have tried to get planning permission to erect a gate on my property which has been turned down by my council, if ticketing does not work or is not enforceable what would you suggest is a viable deterrent to keep people from parking on my property?
Robert,
With respects, how on earth do you expect me to answer that? I have never seen your property, and have no clue why they turned you down, but there are always other options available to you, try one of them, there is no one fit all solution to every situation, I cannot give you the answer to your question, but I know one thing clamping is not a deterrent otherwise people would not park in car parks where clamping is used as an enforcement.
The fact is clamping on private land is going, people and companies who own land must make a decision on what they need to do next, like up in Scotland.
The government has no obligation to put something in place of clamping, you have local MPs lobby them to raise the matter in the commons, perhaps there is scope to make private parking tickets enforceable?
Or alternately try asking the local authority to regulate and enforce private land. the following enables a council to enforce parking under Section 33(4)(b) of the RTRA 1984
http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=the+road+traffic+regulation+act+1984&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&sortAlpha=0&TYPE=QS&PageNumber=1&NavFrom=0&parentActiveTextDocId=2223862&ActiveTextDocId=2223916&filesize=3708
@Taffy
I dont know if you missed my earler posts but local Authorities sold off their estates to private landlords that includes thousands of parking spaces, why would the local authorities then decide to go backwards and issue tickets on unadopted highways?
for taffy,
I am not asking you to solve my problem, just looking for ideas. Many councils will turn down the erection of gates because it infringes on the “street scene”, ticketing does not work and signage is pointless if there is no penalty that accompanies them. You say that it is not rocket science so what are the alternatives? Personally I do not want any clampers near my property, however, they are a necessary evil but they do need to be regulated properly.
for taffy,
Without giving you the specifics, what are your three best alternatives?
I have already given my alternatives, see my previous posts as I am not going to repeat myself again, and Nick I am not saying for the authorities to buy the land, I am saying there is in place scope for the councils to do that if they are asked to do so
yes but your alternatives as far as I can see are: barriers, posts, fencing & gates…correct? Where I live you need planning permission for these, and in most cases councils are reluctant because it infringes the “street scene”…if you are turned down by the planners then what are the alternatives? Your alternatives are not viable as they rely on planning permission.
yes but your alternatives as far as I can see are: barriers, posts, fencing & gates…correct? Where I live you need planning permission for these, and in most cases councils are reluctant to approve such measures because they infringes the “street scene”…so my question to you is if you are turned down by the planners then what alternatives are available? Your reasoning is just not viable as it relies on a third party decision.
Councils are willing to give permission if it doesn’t impact on the surrounding area, I know I have just got permission to erect fences and gates around my land, really you are the landholder, its now up to you to find alternatives, there are others, do some research!
What you are assuming I gather is that clamping is the only alternative, that means its a third party, that third party will soon be gone you have about 6 months to have alternative in place, its not as if this ban is coming tomorrow, also why don’t you go back to the council, they knowing a ban is coming into place may sway them into another decision.
Clamping is a solution looking for a problem, the ban is coming, you need to prepare for when its available to you any longer.
banning Clamping on Private land owners property will turn into a right of parking anywere there is no other way to stop apart from clamping
regards
Sammy
You keep on mentioning the alternatives without actually saying anything. I have done the research and there are NO other alternatives, if there were you would not waste your time writing three paragraphs when you could write three points! Once the council has declined permission your only other option is to appeal to the planning inspectorate, which I have done. If they reject the appeal then I cannot go back to the planners and ask them to reconsider, it does not work like that. I am not saying clamping is the only alternative, I just cannot find any others. You are telling me there are better options, all I am asking is for you to list them. You are correct that clampers are a third party but I can control them on my land, I cannot control the councils decisions. In short without approval for a gate I cannot prevent people from parking on my land.
I feel it should be up to the land owners they own the the land it should be there right to say what gose on on there property if the government have decided land owners can’t chosse how to enforce parking on there land before we know it landowners won’t be able to do anything
Regards
Sammy
There are ways to control parking in areas such as you mention, you are not trying hard enough to find another means, you can install bollards you can can ask the authority to put a control order on the car park which means the tickets issued are enforceable. A simple post with chains does not need planning to protect car spaces.
Stop making excuses by saying clamping is the only way, that is simply not the case clamping is being banned and its been a long time coming, being extorted by thugs is going, well done to the tories for sticking for motorists everywhere.
I am talking about a private road of which 30 houses sit…bollards need approval by the council, the council will not adopt the road hence a control order will not work and there are enough court cases ruling in favour of the parked car as it cannot be proved who was driving…chains will not work as I stated because it is a private road…the only way we can prevent unauthorised parking is a gate which has not been approved (subject to appeal)…also this is not a conservative policy it is a liberal policy.
so not trying to make excuses, just trying to get some constructive ideas.
Ok i work in the industry, we work where there is gates, barriers, the reasons we do in there are many flats some of the flats have multiable vehicle but the estate only has room for one, so in that respect gates etc do not work, some of the flats we work for have residents who own vehicle repair shops, or vehicle leasing company from there flats, so as i said really nothing works other than the enforcement or threat of enforcement of clamping, and in extreme circumstance towing (company i work for is pretty anti towing) unless dumped etc.
Also some of the residents sell keys, fobs and permits, were they only have a space so as i said gates do not work all the time
Clamping and removal is the only option, I have seen barriers, pop up posts etc used and whilst fine for very small developments they are useless on larger estates.
Clamping as it has been is finished it has been raped and pillaged because the SIA took the ostrich approach and allowed it to happen, the only option is a new regulatory body who control with a hand of steel, I dont know what experience of the industry some f the anti clamp brigade on here have but I have worked in the field worked with the residents whose lives are continually blighted, the ban is`nt through yet the alternatives are clear for all to see.
And I will be the first to say “I told you so” when parking dispute violence spirals out of control as surely it will
Isn’t it against the spirit of the Freedom Bill to use that particular bill to ban something?! I thought the Freedom Bill was going to be about un-banning things.
Perhaps it relates to the freedom of ordinary people to go about their business without being preyed on by what the AA called virtual modern day highwaymen.
At the end of the day the sentiment from the massed ranks of clampers and their supporters on here is just special pleading. No government could rule with any authority if it was to take every gripe and groan into account from those affected by its legislation. It seems to me that the decision is made and that the overwhelming majority of the public support it wholeheartedly. This is also clear from the universally supportive press comment that the measure has received. The greater good demanded that something was done to curb the totally unacceptable things that were happening within this industry.
Sooner or later the clamping fraternity will have to wake to to the fact that the world has now changed for them and get ready for alternative employment. Landowners will also have to take steps to secure their property. Daily life will go on without a hiccup as it did in Scotland.
Oh yeah we are going to have an uprising and riots after the ban takes effect lol more likely to have a party 🙂 so get real the world didn’t end in scotland, there are solutions but you are dissmissing them out of hand because of either a vested interest, or because you must now spend money instead of having hired thugs extorting money off people.
The new reality for you, clamping is going and that’s it !
Those people celebrating the demise of clamping have obviously never lived in housing where parking is open plan on an allocated and privately owned basis.
This move is a disaster for those people who do, especially near shopping centres or other areas of public interest. As usual a few cowboys give everyone else who are doing things properly a bad name.
I would suggest that those who welcome this, presumably because they’ve been clamped on someone else’s property, give out their addresses so the rest of us can come over, hang around outside their houses and nip up the drive at the first opportunity!
On small, non commercial residential estates the threat of clamping WORKS! Ticketing and barriers don’t.
The world will end if this decision is implemented. You will have pitched battles between landowners and motorists. The whole of London will become one vast car park. Landowners will go bust due to having to stand guard on their land 24 hours a day. Shares of companies selling barriers, bollards and posts will skyrocket. Martial law will eventually declared and the army sent in. Bands of ex-clampers, landowners and motorists will roam the streets looking for confrontation.
Or alternatively maybe nothing at all will happen.
Yes must be awful for you , can’t park in your bay, so I know lets get the hired thugs in extort hundreds out of people, it must be the only solution as parking posts for a few quid won’t work.
And lets remind ourselves on who these thugs are, nurse attending a patient £300 to release a clamp, rising £50 an hour and the extorters laughing at her, ambulance dropping a patient off, £200 charged to the nhs, public money wasted! Delivery driver £950 for going to ask shop they were delivering to where to park.
And lets forget the classic, driver turns around in car park with the clampers van blocking sign £400 , they weren’t parked at all and no escape as clampers van parked across the exit.
Stop making lousy excuses there are other solutions, you have plenty of time to find one that works for you, clamping is not the answer!
I have always felt the wheelclamping is unfair, mys son got caught sometime ago parking on land which was owned by the shop where he was taking some goods back, he was kept waiting longer in the shop than he thought and was clamped the shop did not take any responsibility and he had to pay the fine. I am pleased the government are doing something about this now.
So he ignored the signs then? Let me think of a sign you may be able to relate to better – ‘SHOP LIFTERS WILL BE PROSECUTED’ Somebody shop lifts and is prosecuted – Any problem with that? No! Then don’t park on private land with signs that say ‘WHEEL CLAMPING – DO NOT PARK HERE WITHOUT A PERMIT’
Ironic to see hordes of clampers on here pleading for mercy from a ban which is as well deserved as it is necessary. Many of the same characters showed absolutely no mercy when strongarming people into paying their disreputable demands. Now when the shoe is on the other foot they cry and bleat about how unfair it is.
Clamping is going because it had turned into a form of legalised extortion. Indeed this is the reason that the practice was banned in Scotland. So well done to the government, please follow through on your promise and do not leave any loopholes for these chancers to exploit.
@Christina – if this clamping was in the last 6 years your son can sue the clamper and the shop for his money back with a high chance of success. If he needs advice, I suggest he post on somewhere like Pepipoo.com; they have helped plenty of people get their cash back in similar circumstances.
all this bull crap that you can place barriers up instead of clamping is nonsense. The cost of doing so on awkward pieces of land would be immense. Clamping is the only effective measure that makes people think twice. Ticketing will not work..the cost of enforcement is down to the landowner again. From November any f*****r that parks on our land will be removed by way of our forklift truck, rather than us have to recoop money of these b$%%%%”s that park on our land it will be down to them to recoop any damage of said vehicle.. Warning signs will (or maybe not! ha ha) put up & I’m sure after a couple of times that the vehicles are dumped in the middle of the highway the police might do someting about it!. Magistrates may even lend a more sympathetic ear to landowners in such cases after the clamping ban comes into effect.
As a law abiding wheel clamp I object to this move which has made me redundant. One day I was sitting on some hapless motorist’s wheel, beaming away like the clamper who applied me, and the next face being thrown on the scapheap like a heap of old metal. I will likely be melted down to make the new barriers which will need to be smelted. Wheel clamps are innocent in all of this. Please overturn this move on the grounds of cruelty to wheel clamps.
Clampy, you think you have it bad. I’m facing the crusher.
Justice for clamps and tow trucks!
Taffy Section 33(4)(b) of the RTRA 1984 does NOT apply to private residential estates because the COMMON PARTS of the property are governed by a lease to the residents and therefore you cannot effectively ‘sub-lease’ it to the council in order to control parking.
IF (and only if) this bill goes through with a total ban, then the government needs to change the law to make ticketing enforceable, for owners of cars to be made to name the driver and their details and for court action to be permissable to take the non payers to court (at their cost) and for the appeals procedure to be handled by the same appeals procedure as the Councils use…. however, having just watched the pig fly over my head… I very much doubt that the people in government that will pass this ban have little or no understanding property owners in large towns and cities will be affected by this ban
@charles
Almost correct, yes I own a private management company looking after private estates and that is why I am against the ban as some of the developments (less than 25% of those we manage) have issues with illegal parking.
As I advised my colleague in the office posted under my account name of DemonLee.
Yes I am a photographer, I gave my NUJ number enough times….
I have nothing to hide, those developments we manage that have GENUINE parking issues have resorted to relying on a third party company to manage their residential parking schemes as the company only employs registered SIA staff for clamping as notices etc just were ignored. The Tow Away option is only used where the Police have confirmed it is NOT a lost or Stolen but is NOT registered so we deal with those in the following manner.
If the Vehicle is reported lost or stolen, the Police contact the owner who contacts their Insurance Company and they arrange for the removal of the vehicle.
If it is NOT lost or stolen but has no registered keeper, if it has a valid Road Fund Licence, it goes to a Car Pound, Police are advised so that the owner will have to contact them (they rarely do) and collect the car. If it is untaxed with no registered keeper, it gets scrapped.
Clamping and Tow Away are still LAST RESORTS, but regretably some people think that they have MORE RIGHTS to private property than the owners, those persistent offenders will end up getting clamped. On most of the sites were manage where such schemes are required, since inception, it is normally only one or two cars a year that get clamped because our signs are large, clear and can be easily seen.
And in relation to the person that queried why a THIRD PARTY COMPANY is used, we are MANAGING AGENTS for the developments, we do not provide any direct services ourselves, ALL WORKS are carried out under contracts that have to comply with the CLRA 2002 and contractors have to re-quote each year unless the Leaseholders have agreed in accordance with the law to allow a longer contract.
This topic is turning into a real train-wreck.
lol Karl Hackett, I agree, it almost makes me want to turn into someone else and leave it all behind.
I proclaim that these measures are ludicrous and although Lynne is a very respected MP She obviously knows more about government issues than the Private Parking Industry.
I have 21 years of experience and run an highly respected company that operates in over 300 towns and cities in the UK, We also immobilise over a thousand vehicles per month without much complaint or bad press, Our release fee is a mere £80 and we very rarely tow away, perhaps just 10 a year and only when threatened with violence or at the proprietors wish. All my members of staff are vetted to BS7858 trained in conflict management and vehicle immobilisation and hold an SIA license. We are ISO 9001 2008 UKAS, Members of the BPA Approved Operators Scheme and currently awaiting certification from the SIA for their ACS “We are the good guys” (if there is such a thing) in the industry and although I am a honoured member of the Industry of Parking Professionals, the chairman of the largest Wheel clamping company on private land, inventor of the triangular clamp and I/ We have not been approached and our opinions sort.
Public awareness now of wheel clamping has brought ease and comfort to the proprietors all over the UK by providing low cost car parking management. The public (YOU) now has access to, Libraries, Your space at work or even out side your own home! We patrol Hospitals, Doctors and Clinics. Many a Shopping Centre, retail park, Department stores and shops that were previously abused by Fly Parker’s, Remember 1969 No-one wanted to see double yellow lines and traffic wardens but were would we be without them? The alternatives are similarly daunting. Are we actually going to turn the clock back to draconian measures? I.e. Pop up studs, unlocking chains, expensive barriers or do the government expect us all to issue Fixed Penalty Notices were only 62% volunteer payment whilst the rest end up with in the small claims court after which results in proceedings and visits from National firms of bailiffs, surely that is worse than what we have now.
Even though we have immobilised so many we claim that the threat of Wheel Clamping Deters 95% and provides good car park management. No more parking on grass verges, pavements on Hatched or yellow lines, double parking, out side emergency exits etc. try to imagine if I was to park on your driveway or take your parking spot and you have no recourse. IF this bill goes through then I can do Just that and you can’t do a thing about it! and trust me motorists do just that! My staff have been spat on, abused, thumped, shot at, stabbed and run over. We’ve faced football fans, Night club bouncers and local Vigilantes, drug lords, the media and the Police.
I wish I could penalise rogue wheel clampers I really do. I’ve spent 21 years of backlash from their antics and it makes me cringe. Remember I’m tarred with the same brush so I don’t go to meetings any more, I don’t answer their phone calls or join their groups. If I’m in an association its because there is a need, and not always that I agree! I’m more or less an independent and I’ll fight for what I believe in and what I think is right, after all every man’s home is his castle and I’ll help you defend it. What I won’t do is fight for the rights of someone who wants a fiscal gain or sees my endeavours as retribution, I won’t get into land disputes, I’m not that sort of guy! I’m here to provide good car park management using the threat of Vehicle immobilisation and that’s it!. I too hate Clamper’s and it’s more than most and with justification, trust me! I do however warn that I also doubt these days what is printed especially in the Daily Mail I can read between the lines and I know that the press either lie or exaggerate but you do hear some horror stories that is beyond beggars belief Fortunately there are plenty of us good guys out there and lots of them but their work never receives accolade, there again they don’t expect it. We too make mistakes of course we do! we are not definitely whiter than white, but we try to be fair at all times “Our excuse” we just don’t know the truth any-more as we’ve seen it, heard it even from the nicest of people and with so many lies its just hard to trust any human ever again.
Ironically the fact is Vehicle Immobilisers are perceived as being Shyster’s and unfortunately everyone decent I know within the industry is about to bail out and take as much cash as they can before going bust! They won’t listen to me any more and all of the good work both I and others have tried to achieve has been squandered and anyone who was border line in the past are now playing into the hands of the media. Ironically and believe it or not most decent people that have not been clamped, towed away nor received an FPN and stupidly you all benefit from our service in one way or another but you just don’t see it or think about it! The deterrent factor these days is around 95% Should you role the dice and get caught on average a clamp cycle including the on /off payment is made within 22 minutes and a wheel clamper can average apply/remove up to 10 units per hour in a busy area. A tow truck which is more expensive to run requires a compound and staff averages only 2.4 Vehicles per hour and when you look at the turn around of 3 hours of inconvenience to the Motorist then Clamping is a greater deterrent because the risk is higher. When people Claim Clamping is outlawed in Scotland THINK AGAIN! Because towing isn’t, so the proprietors choose to tow which is obviously more expensive and more inconvenient to get you car back. I’d rather be clamped than towed any-day. England has it right!
By law “Civil law” that is! We can legally charge up to £130.The BPA will endorse up to £125. I/We don’t take what I’m entitled to or what I can, I only take what I feel is fair, Which is £80 I don’t tow away and I don’t have escalating charges or trumped up expenses! which I believe makes me better than most MP’s in the house. If there is equality and a sense of fairness then similarly ALL of Members of parliament should be outlawed because of actions of the few. So its down to you the Government and the MP’s who create the Statutes and laws and not mere Clamper’s. Right now wish I was an MP for just about anyone who’d have me and I’d put a stop to this witch-hunt on hard working caring car park attendants with a little power! Lets see sense “better the devil you know! All that’s required is a cap on the release fee at £100, A time limit before vehicles can be towed away with no extra fees and only used as a last resort such as instances like the blocking of fire exits, emergency exits or access to land or only if there is no way of relocation on site. All the companies should be licensed and regulated by the SIA and booted out for being over zealous. If you feel aggrieved you can go to the small claims court that’s what its there for, alternatively employ me, I’m retired and impartial, I’ll sort them out, give me six months that’s all.
Trevor Whitehouse
Chairman & Founder National Clamps 1989 ~ Present Day
Well said Trevor, you have my support
Steve Dean
Trevor Whitehouse of National Clamps. Whiter than white and polishing his halo by the looks of things.
20 minutes searching online reveals a somewhat different story.
The same National Clamps that clamped an elderly man in his car when he was sitting in it? (BBC News website , April 2006)
The same National Clamps whose spokesman at the time said:”It’s our job to catch people out, not inform them they have been caught out”?
The same National Clamps that clamped trucker Brian Gooch while he was inside his cab watching TV soap Emmerdale? (Daily Express October 2009)
The same National Clamps that clamped a Roadnight Logistics driver within two minutes and 56 seconds of stopping to take a phone call in a Coventry industrial estate? (Roadtransport.com, July 2008)
The same National Clamps that clamped a Blackburn pharmacy driver when delivering vital drugs for cancer patients (Lancashire Telegraph, March 2010)
The same National Clamps who clamped a woman who was late back to her car because she was helping a friend whose child had had a fit and then refused to cancel the fee? (Wirral Globe, December 2008)
The same National Clamps that clamped a man for being 12 SECONDS late back to his car in a Preston city centre car park? And then paid up when he sued? (Chorley Guardian, April 2010).
The same National Clamps which clamped without authority on the public highway in Altrincham and was ordered by the Council to stop? (Messenger, June 2009)
The same National Clamps that clamped Andy Lockwood when he had displayed a permit and then paid up when he sued? (Google Grassin Vidz and National Clamps for the full story)
The same National Clamps that clamped Tracy Jones last week and drove her to a cashpoint to withdraw the money? (despite this sick practice specifically being highlighted by Lynne when announcing the ban) (Lancashire Evening Post, August 18th 2010)
The same National Clamps that clamped a focus DIY delivery van on the Hardwick Retail Park after innocently delivering to it’s own store? (Kings Lynn Online, May 26, 2006)
The same National Clamps that has targetted people shopping at the top of Faraday Road in Newbury FOR NOT VISITING THE STORES IN THE RIGHT ORDER? Where your clamper told Mrs Kate Bone that if she had visited Lidl first she would not have been clamped? (Newbury Today, June 2008)
So come off it Mr Whitehouse, the holier-than-thou sanctimonious claptrap appeara a bit overdone. On the evidence of these stories as reported in the press, which may well be the tip of the iceberg for all we know, your company hardly seems any better than many of those whose activities led directly to the ban announced last week.
Lynne seems to have gone very quiet. I’m still waiting to find out, if as Lynne says: “for a parking offence – clamping is not a proportionate response to the crime”, why the ban only applies to private land?
Are we all still aware of the home office consultation papers regarding the licensing of vehicle immobilisation businesses dtaed 30th April 2010 and the relevent documentation by Alan Campbell the then under secretary of state for crime reduction of which states four options:
Option 1 :Status Quo – leave it as it is
Option 2 : A voluntary code of practice – like BPA
Option 3 : Compulsory membership of a business licensing scheme fo VI Businesses
Option 3: Compulsory Approved Contractor Scheme
Unfortunatley my previous correspondance on this blog has been removed, why I am unsure, other than the points were nothing but the truth
I have a direct question for Lynne Featherstone:
I have received in the post this morning a reminder from the SIA that my vehicle immobilisor licence expires on the 19th December 2010 and I am required to renew it at a cost of £245.
If I do so and the ban commences in January will the SIA be instructed to refund my money?
Steve Dean
For Lynne Featherstone
I have just spoken tothe SIA Licencing department (a young lady called Jenny) who has stated that I am required to pay the £245 renewal fee and that despite the fact that I will have a 12 month licence for what could be an illegal activity, there will be no refund.
It seems ironic that your concerns about wheel clamping relates to extortion & theft by rogue clampers and yet your government seem to be happy taking money for a service that they are then going to ban.
I would be very interested in your view on this
Steve Dean
Good riddance to rip off clampers. A long time coming. They never gave a thought to the victims they strongarmed but now their ill gotten gains are threatened they expect everyone to feel sorry for them. No chance. As has been shown in the widespread coverage people all over the country are rejoicing that they will no longer be subjected to this menace. Keep up the good work Lynne and make sure that you leave absolutley no loopholes.
Lynne, thought you would be interested in this story as it is from your constituency and shows exactly why you were dead right to announce the ban on the scourge of clamping:
http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/news/8355375.Clampers_accuse_tearful_motorist_of_assault_in_Bounds_Green_stand_off/
Note Matt Cooke brazenly trying to take credit for the decision to oulaw these rogues even though his party did absolutely NOTHING to protect motorists.
Barry, it’s a good story, shame you forgot to mention the most important part…
“Sharon Clancy had parked in privately-owned service road Latham Court, off Brownlow Road,”
Once again a roguish clamper takes 100% of the blame when in reality if she had not parked there she would not have been placed in this situation and as for Matt Cookes statement it is anti-social, so is bloody well parking on somebodies property without consent or regard for them – this is the REAL problem, not clamping or towing away, not even ROGUE CLAMPERS, it is the IGNORANCE of those members of the public that think they can do what they like without impunity…. I wonder how many times she had stopped there to ‘pop into the shops for a minute’ and not been clamped?
There is absolutely no way of knowing that Latham Court in Bounds Green is a private road, as is clear from the photo. As a local I can say that the signs are so small and hidden as to be non existent and there have been numerous incidents of clamping when it is clear that those clamped had no idea they were not parking on the public highway. The only purpose of clamping here is to entrap motorists, a practice Lynne mentioned in her announcement. The clampers often lurk nearby waiting to pounce. It is behaviour like this that has given the industry a bad name and led to the long overdue and universally welcomed plan to abolish this menace to society once and for all.
Again it is only the silly rubbish stories that we here, today we have clamped a man who admits he shouldnt have parked there, but he lost his key to his personal space so he parked in a restricted area knowing that clamping is in place, he has rang us and said he has gone to the national press and he will be sitting in his vehicle all night and his friends will be bringing him food and drinks, I said good luck to him, as we have no intention of plastering his vehicle with tickets and clamoping all the wheels, his reponse was oh if you dont want to get the press I will have to cut the clamp off then– so was it not just a publicity stunt to see how far we would go, unfortunately for him we today have had our audit to ensure we are working to guidelines and standards of which we clearly are and passed with flying colours, so to the victim(s) no excessive fees, no hidden signs, no deploying of vehicles to lure motorists etc etc – read the signs and dont park end of, if everyone read the signs and didnt park on someone’s land without their consent their wouldnt be an issue. I am sick of the stories of the victim, again I re-iterate they are not the victim you dont own the land, you have no rights to be on the land dont park end of.
What would happen if someone parked on your driveway without your consent what would you do?
If you or your your staff couldnt park because of of inconsiderate drivers what would you do?
If the government ban clamping on private land, the council parking meters and car parks will be empty as it will be easier to park on private land and get away with it rather than park on a pay and display.
I will be seeking compensation from the government for the time effort and money spent on setting up a business taking into account SIA licences and The BPA Approved Operator scheme
I agree signs need to be LARGER and CLEARER and would welcome proper legislation to deal with this instead of a complete ban as I can see worse news stories after the ban than we see now.
It almost makes you want to get the violins out. The decision is made. Get over it and start preparing for a new occupation. There will be no chaos after the ban as clamping has little or nothing to do with parking management anyway. Landowners will take sensible measures to secure their land where there is a possibility of problem parking, as happens in Scotland where they have somehow managed to cope without clamping for nearly 20 years. Did Glasgow and Edinburgh grind to a halt when clamping was banned? Not a bit of it. Just as there will be no real problems in the rest of the UK when this invidious practice is finally halted.