Environmental Services

Abandoned vehicle removal service

Abandoned vehicles are not only unsightly, but can be dangerous, especially to youngsters who are tempted to use them as play equipment.

Under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978, it is the duty of the local authority to remove any vehicle found to be abandoned in the open air, or on any part of the highway. We have been disposing of unwanted vehicles for free for the last 5 years.

This initiative is designed to improve residents' quality of life by ending the environmental blight caused by nuisance vehicles.

To help improve the environment, The End of Life Vehicle directive came into effect in 2005. This Directive requires all scrapped vehicles to be de-polluted before destruction and for a certain percentage of materials to be recovered for re-use or recycling.

What is an abandoned vehicle?

A vehicle will be treated as abandoned if it has been left for a period of time or has no apparent owner
It may have no tax and it may also be in a dangerous condition

What you can do to help

Never enter or even touch an abandoned vehicle. It may have been used in a crime and may need to be investigated by the police
Vehicles also pose a health and safety risk, may contain hazardous waste and can often pose a fire risk
Never approach a burning vehicle or burnt out vehicle - burnt paint, rubber and other materials maybe toxic or corrosive and harmful
If a vehicle is on fire, call the fire service immediately. If the vehicles is already burnt out contact Barking and Dagenham Direct or complete the nuisance vehicle report form

To report a vehicle you should collect the following information:

Vehicle, make, model and colour
Vehicle registration number (also visible on the tax disc)
Condition of the vehicle (detailing any vandalism)
Expiry date on the tax disc, if there is one
Location of the vehicle and whether it is causing any kind of obstruction
How long the vehicle has been abandoned
Any other information, e.g. who was the last person you saw in the vehicle

What we will do to help

All abandoned vehicles will be inspected within 24 hours of being reported, this is laid out and monitored by the Best Value Performance Indicator BV218a
These vehicles may then be given a notice, depending on the condition and location of the vehicle
Vehicles that are considered to be of value can be removed immediately and a 7-day notice is sent to the registered keeper
Vehicles that are considered to have no value are given a 24 hour notice period however under certain circumstances they will be removed immediately
Vehicles on private land are given a 15-day notice period usually after consulting the land owner nor agent
Any vehicles that are deemed to be abandoned, are removed within 24 hours after the notice has expired this is laid out and monitored in the Best Value Performance Indicator BV218b
We also have the power to recover costs of removal, storage and disposal from the person responsible for abandoning the vehicle
The police have powers under the Removal and Disposal of Vehicle Regulations 1986 to remove any vehicle that is in breach of local traffic regulations, causing an obstruction, likely to cause a danger, broken down or abandoned without lawful authority. Any car that is considered to be a dangerous wreck and where a notice has been issued can be removed immediately
We will also remove untaxed vehicles from the highways and will report them to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
Remember do not abandon your vehicle you can surrender it to us instead