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Vehicle Removals

Vehicle Removals

In Newham, we pay attention to vehicles that are parked dangerously or inconsiderately.

Your vehicle could be removed if it is parked in contravention of parking regulations.

If you think your vehicle has been towed away by the council, you can call TRACE on 020 7747 4747 (24hr).

Within Newham, a vehicle may be removed for any parking contravention, once a penalty charge notice has been issued. Here are some examples of when a vehicle can be removed;

  • Parked in a position causing danger or a serious health and safety obstrution/hazard to other road users or pedestrians
  • Parked in a formal disabled bay
  • In an operational bus lane or at a bus stop
  • Parked in a suspended bay
  • Being a persistent evader (if you have three or more outstanding penalty charge notices)
  • Having a vehicle with a foreign registration number (non-EU vehicles) and in contravention
  • Parked obstructing a dropped footway
  • Footway parking (vehicles issued with a penalty charge notice for footway parking may be removed from any location within Newham and taken to the Council's car pound)
  • Contravening a loading ban
  • Parked in a bay reserved for certain users e.g. doctors, police etc.
  • Parked on school keep clear markings (30 minutes after the penalty charge notice is issued and no driver is present)

Picture of car being towed

Please note: Newham Council does not clamp, or order the clamping of, vehicles. If your vehicle has been clamped, it will have been done by a private company or possibly a bailiff. There should be contact details in the notice on your car.

Prior to removal, a penalty charge notice (PCN) is issued. Removed vehicles are taken to the vehicle pound in Folkestone Road (also signposted as Jenkins Lane), East Ham. See a map of the car pound. The charge for removals is not set by the Council, but by a London-wide body called the Association of London Government. This ensures that charges are consistent throughout London.

As set by London Councils, as of 1 July 2007, the charge for vehicle removal is £200. If the vehicle is not collected within 24 hours of the time of removal, the owner will incur storage charges of £40 per day. (The charges were previously £150 for removal, £25 per day for storage).

If your vehicle is removed and you feel it should not have been, you can make representations against the PCN and removal only after you have paid the release fees. Details on how to do this will also be given to you at the vehicle pound. You must make a representation within 28 days of collecting your vehicle.

To find out more about making representations against a PCN, go to our Penalty Charge Notices page.

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