Clamping

Wheel clamps can be used to immobilise illegally parked vehicles or vehicles without a valid tax disc.

On-street parking and Council managed off-street parking

The council does not clamp vehicles parked on-street or in Council-managed public off-street car parks.

Enforcement of parking regulations is achieved through the use of penalty charge notices issued by our civil enforcement officers.

The DVLA, through its agents, does clamp vehicles on-street if the tax disc has expired, and it may even remove vehicles to a compound. For more information, visit the The DVLA Wheel Clamping Scheme on the Directgov web site.

Off-street privately owned and Council owned private car parks

Vehicles parked without authorisation in private car parks and council owned non-public car parks may be subject to clamping.

Before leaving your car in a private car park, ensure you are authorised to do so and look carefully for any warning notices.

If you are clamped, check that the clamping company is authorised by the Security Industry Authority. If not, your car may have been clamped illegally and you should call the police. If you intend to dispute the release charge later, you should make careful notes of the size, position and wording of any warning signs. These should be clearly visible.

The dispute of a clamping charge is a civil matter and you should seek help from your legal advisor.

The Council is unable to become involved in clamping disputes.

Last update: 21/02/2012