Council’s Operation Clampdown hailed a success

An initiative driven by the East Staffordshire Borough Council to tackle unauthorised parking complaints in the Eton Ward area has been hailed a success.

Officers from East Staffordshire Borough Council’s Enforcement Team arranged an Initiative called Operation Clampdown last week, joining forces with East Staffordshire Borough Council’s Community and Civil Enforcement Team and Licensing Team.

They worked alongside Partner Agencies from the DVLA, Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire County Council’s Parking Enforcement.

The targeted initiative was in response to complaints and intelligence provided by members of the public and reporting:

• Commercial garages parking vehicles on the highway for sustained periods of time for commercial activities, limiting parking for residents
• Vehicles being parked on the highway with no tax and/ or mot
• Vehicles being abandoned on the highway.

As a result of the proactive, collaborative partnership working, the following action was taken:

• A letter drop to 475 properties in the vicinity reassuring residents of the action and asking for intelligence and information.
• 15 abandoned vehicle notices placed on vehicles
• 80 vehicles checked by ESBC for road tax and mot and referred to the DVLA
• 18 vehicles seized and removed by the DVLA for failing to have road tax
• 8 vehicles clamped for having no road tax by the DVLA
• 8 warnings with a fine (vehicles where road tax had expired recently)
• 85 without road tax identified by ANPR (fines to be issued and sent via post) in the Shobnall and also Anglesey areas of Burton on Trent.
• 5 Duty of Care inspections conducted on businesses in the area with continued action required.
• Licensed vehicles by East Staffordshire Borough Council and other Local Authorities being parked on the highway suspected to have been left by local garages and which are being investigated.
• 16 penalty charge notices issued for parking breaches

The reports made to the Council are ongoing and currently under investigation.

Cllr Simon Slater (pictured), Cabinet Member for Communities and Regulatory Services, said: “Operation Clampdown shows what can be achieved when council teams and partner agencies work together to tackle issues raised by residents.

“By acting on local concerns, we’ve taken clear action to remove untaxed and abandoned vehicles, free up parking, and improve the local environment in Eton Ward.”

Operation Clampdown is not an isolated Initiative and will continue to be rolled out across the Borough where appropriate.

Residents can report vehicles parked on the street without tax to the DVLA by clicking here.

If any vehicle is believed to be abandoned, contact the East Staffordshire Borough Council on 01283 508506