Liverpool councillor wants parking offenders to have cars immobilised and seized

A local councillor is calling on Liverpool City Council to clamp down on persistent parking offenders by seizing vehicles. Richard Clein, Liberal Democrat councillor for Grassendale and Cressington, is urging the local authority to follow in the footsteps of Manchester City Council, who have powers to immobilise or remove vehicles until a release fee is paid.

Councillor Clein says things will only change if people are shown that there are ‘consequences for being a nuisance to other people on our roads and pavements’. The Department for Transport defines a persistent offender as someone with three or more Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).

In a letter to the Council’s new Corporate Director for Neighbourhoods and Housing Nicki Butterworth, Councillor Clein said ‘inconsiderate and illegal parking’ is a ‘massive’ issue across the city and something that many residents ‘care deeply about’. He added that the issue is particularly apparent outside the city centre.

The letter continues: “In other local authorities, such as Manchester City Council for example, executive powers have been strengthened to deal with these persistent offenders. New powers include the ability to immobilise and remove the vehicles of persistent offenders, pending a fine. 

“I am writing to enquire as to whether Liverpool City Council has any plans to adopt similar powers; and to strongly recommend that these proposals are brought forward for the consideration of the Council.

“Nuisance parking is a concern right across our city.  It is a problem that requires a tough stance. If there continues to be little or no consequence for bad behaviour, we will continue to see persistent breaking of the rules. My view is that these new powers would lead to a change in behaviour on our streets and will be welcomed by the vast majority of law-abiding citizens who park responsibly.”

Nuisance and inconsiderate parking has been a problem across the city for number of years, with Liverpool City Council pledging to rectify the problem. The council did hand out more fines in the first half of 2023, with 62,828 penalty charge notices (PCNs) handed out across the city between January 1 and June 30 this year.