A new campaign to drive down car related nuisance and crime has been agreed by Hastings Council, following a survey which showed that vehicle crime is residents’ highest crime and disorder concern.
The Council currently deals with a massive 3,000 vehicles abandoned on the streets of the town each year. There are roughly 5,000 complaints about abandoned vehicles from residents, and the vehicles then have to be removed at a high cost.
Now the Council has called for a car summit so that key organisations in the town can pull together to try and stamp this problem out. All organisations with an interest in reducing car related nuisance and crime to a ‘car summit’. The Police and 1066 Housing Association have already agreed to take part and it is hoped that the DVLA and magistrates will also take part.
Over the last two years, the Council’s Parking Attendants have played their part in reporting untaxed vehicles to the DVLA - they have reported over 2,800. But further problems are being caused by car repairs on roads and private land and by car sales on roadsides.
Repairing cars on the roadside is becoming more and more common and it causes unnecessary noise and pollution to residents in the immediate area.
There is currently a Car Crime Focus Group, set up as part of the overall Community Safety Group which will be very important in this new initiative. There is also a group within the Council which has recently been established to focus efforts more effectively, known as the Car Crime Team. That team will now work with the Car Crime Focus Group to help with the whole range of car related nuisance and crime.
Councillor Paul Silverson, Cabinet Member responsible for Transport, said:
We have decided that something has to be done to tackle car related nuisance, including the increasing amount of untaxed cars and car repairs on our streets. They are unsightly, cause a nuisance to neighbours and can be dangerous to other road users. What’s more the people of Hastings & St Leonards have told us that they want action.
By setting up a car summit and encouraging everyone to get tough together by vigorously enforcing the powers they have, we hope we can crack the problem”.
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This page last updated: 12/07/2001