Wheel clamping on private land banned

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Over the years one of the more regular issues over which I have been contacted has been the aggressive clamping of cars parked on private land and the extortion of eye-watering “release fees”.

This ranges from supposedly reputable companies such as NCP clamping delivery vehicles which stop for a couple of minutes (and delaying deliveries to the Hospital for hours), to mothers picking up children from evening events in Warrington and being frog marched to a cashpoint to get the money to get their car back.

While it is legitimate for the owners of private land and car parks to be able to protect themselves against unauthorised parking, this important liberty has been totally discredited by the action of private clampers.

Their activities range from the legal but unpleasant to the totally criminal demands for money with menaces and effectively false imprisonment.

Most of those complaining to me did not object to being penalised for parking incorrectly on private land, what they objected to was the size of the fines, the immobilisation of their vehicle regardless of the circumstances and, on many occasions, the aggressive behaviour of the clampers and their employers. Most saw private clamping as a money making enterprise – not legitimate parking control.

Two Liberal Democrat ministers, Lynne Featherstone and Norman Baker, have now achieved a change in the law, to match similar regulations in Scotland, which will ban this practice.

A YouGov poll shows 87% of the public approve of the change compared to 7% who are against it.

I see this as a very welcome redressing of the balance of rights between the private citizen and businesses and landowners. However, I very much hope that all responsible motorists will take care not to abuse this ban. Alternative ways of keeping private parking areas private will have to be found.

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