Wensum ward councillor Caroline Brimblecombe who has been getting complaints about cars being sold illegally along Dereham Road.
Photo by Simon Finlay
Plans to stop verge car sales halted due to Budget cuts
Tom Bristow
Monday, February 25, 2013
12:56 PM
Council chiefs have said they are unable to take action against cars being sold on a Norwich street because of budget cuts.
Cars have been parked along the verge of Dereham Road advertised for sale for years, but following complaints the city council said it could do little in the next financial year because budgets were “under pressure”.
Wensum ward councillor Caroline Brimblecombe took up the issue after getting complaints from people living along Dereham Road.
She said: “It seems to be getting worse. It doesn’t tend to be individuals – people are doing it as a quasi-business. They know the rules and regulations and how to try it on.
“It is unsightly, causes damage to the grass and it can also obstruct sight lines and be a safety concern.
“Residents and neighbourhoods have the right not to play host to those selling cars from verges.”
She suggested that PCSOs or council workers might be able to leave notices on cars asking them to move, while patrolling the area.
And the problem was also highlighted at a meeting of Norwich City Council on January 29 when a member of the public asked cabinet member for the environment Bert Bremner if the council would take action against the sale of cars along Dereham Road.
Councillor Bremner said the authority could only take enforcement action against car sales where there were two or more cars being sold by the same owner within 500m of each other.
Mr Bremner said: “Civil enforcement officers target this section of Dereham Road along with other roads in the city and will take action accordingly.
“However, increasingly dealers are aware of the law and take steps to avoid prosecution. This means that our enforcement activities are less and less effective.”
He added that the council was not in a position to introduce a traffic regulation order which would ban parking on verges because the city’s Highways Agency Committee did not have the budget.
But Mrs Brimblecombe said: “The verge parking problem is long-standing and predates the recent central government budget cuts.”
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11 comments
MCI, I do believe parking wardens or whatever they're called nowadays, passed from plod to council enforcers...Arnie without balls methinks.
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nrg
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
@nrg, poor wee Berty is not in charge of the police. You need that chap Bett. Anyway, who are these silly people making complaints? Don't they realise that this sort of vital economic activity is what is driving the UK recovery? If Norwich puts a stop to kerb-side used car sales, well, I would fully expect a further downgrade by Moodys. What's a Norwich MP's view on all this? And on the subject of chocolate tea pots, I'm with chloesmithwatchdotwordpressdotcom.
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Mr Cameron Isaliar
Monday, February 25, 2013
lift the cars on a transporter and hold them in a compound till the owner pays for the release. sure there a company willing to provide a service, much the same as clamping. 1 week problem solved!
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grasshopper
Monday, February 25, 2013
Again ANOTHER unbelievable piece of reporting.......Surely by releasing this story the people who parksell these cars now have a "ticket to ride"(excuse the pun) and I expect if you have a piece of vergeroadway outside your house you can now expect a car lot to appear soon......Did we really need this story made public?
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NR1`EY
Monday, February 25, 2013
The parking attendants should be self funding. Fining a few more motorists for breaking the rules should cover the costs. Ah but wait, they travel around in vans in two's, walk around hidden away side streets etc etc. get them to the hotspots. verge parking has never been enforced properly. And while I state the obvious get the wardens down Magdalen Street. Park on yellow lines and put your hazard warning lights on a hey presto your car ceases to be visible and is not an obstruction. Bert get this council working properly or get out.
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NchNthMan
Monday, February 25, 2013
Same issue along Drayton Road where I live - sometimes the cars parked there make it difficult to get out of the bit where I live.
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lockers
Monday, February 25, 2013
jimbo hupperby, since when have parking enforcement officers been teaching in schools and caring for the elderly?
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nrg
Monday, February 25, 2013
dont really see it as a priority over education, care and real issues literally see about 3 cars a week for sale is this really an issue?
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Jimmy Hupperby
Monday, February 25, 2013
Breaches of the law should always be prosecuted. This is shameful.
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Richard Woods
Monday, February 25, 2013
We have bin police and we have gravestone wobble police, yet when comes to proper policing, Bert and his bunch of nuLabour well paid and gold plated pension Stasi goes missing, presumed a failure.
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nrg
Monday, February 25, 2013
Bert, your as useful as a chocolate tea pot...VOTE HIM OUT NEXT TIME!!!
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nrg
Monday, February 25, 2013