Nuisance vehicles can be classified either as vehicles for sale on the road or vehicles being repaired on the road in the course of a business.
Selling of Vehicles
The offence of selling vehicles on the road is intended to target those people who run a business selling and/or repairing motor vehicles and use the road as a mock showroom. It is not intended to target individuals selling their private car. It is intended to combat the nuisance caused by the presence of several vehicles being offered for sale in the same street or area for the purposes of a business.
The Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act 2005 states that an offence is being committed when there are two or more vehicles within 500 metres of each other being offered for sale by the same person.
It is recognised that a private individual may have more than one vehicle to sell and may park them close together in the street. However it is anticipated that this will be rare and that his/her ownership of the two (or more) vehicles can be easily established by local enquiries. It can also be ascertained whether the owner practices this on a regular basis.
A person will not be convicted if they can prove they were not acting for the purposes of a business.
Repairing of vehicles
The offence of repairing vehicles in the street is primarily aimed at those carrying out repairs as part of the running of a vehicle repair business.
However, if a private individual repairs their own vehicle in the street, it will still be an offence where this gives reasonable cause for annoyance to people who live nearby. Regardless of whether it is done in the course of a business, an offence can still be committed.
This legislation is not aimed at roadside repair organisations or mechanics repairing broken down vehicles at the roadside as long as the work on the vehicle is completed within 72 hours.
Penalties
Selling or repairing a vehicle in contravention of the above is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty on conviction is a fine not exceeding £2,500. Alternatively, the council may issue a fixed penalty notice of £100.
Contact
For further information please email us at streetenforcement@cambridge.gov.uk or telephone the customer service centre on 01223 458282.
