Slough Borough Council could tow 150 cars a year under new rules

Under the new powers, Slough Borough Council will be able to tow away cars with three or more outstanding parking tickets and those that are blocking a road or are causing a hazard.

Owners will have to pay to recover their car, which if unclaimed could be sold off at auction.

Councillor Paul Kelly, responsible for roads for the district council, said the move would help the council crack down on persistent fine-dodgers. More than 11,000 fines are currently written off each year.

Mr Kelly said: “In 2022-23 and 2023-24, 11,819 and 11,531 PCNs were written off. This was due to persistent evaders, the ability to trace vehicle owners through the DVLA or the vehicles being foreign registered.

“Through this policy its estimated that between 100 and 150 vehicles will be removed each year.”

Mr Kelly said the council predicts the new powers will raise £165,000 each year, of which some £150,000 will go towards the costs of running the scheme.

The new powers come alongside the rollout of new controlled parking zones, which will eventually cover the whole borough. The council has said these are intended to improve on-street parking for residents.

However it says without powers to also tow cars, ‘persistent evaders will continue to offend and avoid payment of PCNs’.

Pat Hayes, the senior council officer responsible for roads, told council leaders: “Adopting this policy which is common across London and the south east – Windsor and Maidenhead for example – does give us a significant additional power in terms of removing obstructions.”

He added: “You’ll have heard about difficulties getting refuse vehicles and fire engines getting to places in the borough.

“It’s good news in terms of keeping traffic moving, it’s good news in terms of safety and it’s good news in terms of parking fine recovery.”

Councillor Ejaz Ahmed, who represents Slough Central ward, said he wanted to policy ‘in action as soon as possible’.

He said: “We see some of the parking situation, the dire condition around Central ward and some of the extended areas of Central ward and I think the situation is a bit out of control if I put it lightly.”

Slough Borough Council’s cabinet – its leading group of councillors – approved the plans at a meeting on December 16.

The powers will apply to vehicles that have three or more outstanding unpaid parking tickets. The council will also be able to tow vehicles that are causing a hazard or obstruction to the highway, or where they will delay or obstruct maintenance work or events.

Abandoned vehicles, or non-motorised ones such as trailers and caravans, could also be towed as could cars displaying fake or fraudulent blue disabled parking badges.

The powers are set to come into force in April after council leaders approve a contractor to operate the scheme.