Croydon Council has demonstrated its zero-tolerance approach in action by crushing and destroying 13 untaxed and dangerous vehicles, after residents raised complaints about a garage owner whose actions had been blighting their street.
The vehicles, dumped on Parchmore Road in Thornton Heath by the garage formerly known as Balham Autos, were untaxed, unroadworthy and obstructing public spaces.
Following months of ignored warnings, the Council’s antisocial behaviour and enforcement teams intervened to remove the vehicles, which had been blocking residents’ parking spaces, obstructing pavements and creating serious hazards. Officers found cars without engines parked on double yellow lines, vehicles missing doors or tax, and others with sharp, exposed metal. Some were even left in disabled bays, with reports of aggressive behaviour towards residents and Council staff when the garage was challenged.
The Council has now issued a Community Protection Notice (CPN) and a Section 16 Notice – a legal requirement for the business to provide full details about the vehicles and site operations, with an unlimited fine for non-compliance. The Council is also liaising with the Environment Agency over unlicensed scrap activity and the London Fire Brigade due to fire safety concerns.
“Residents are right to be angry – and so am I. What has been happening on Parchmore Road is completely unacceptable. For too long, this garage has been allowed to dump dangerous, untaxed and unroadworthy vehicles on the street, blocking pavements and disabled bays, and making residents feel unsafe.
I went down to Parchmore Road myself to meet residents, who have lived there for over 40 years and have had enough of seeing their street treated like a scrapyard.
This type of illegal activity attracts more antisocial behaviour and fly-tipping – it tells others the rules do not matter. That is why I have taken a zero-tolerance approach. This is Broken Windows in action – tackling the signs of neglect before it grows into something worse.
This is a focused, ongoing operation. The Council will not stand by while one garage blights an entire community.”
– Jason Perry, Conservative Mayor of Croydon
The Council will continue to monitor the site and surrounding area as part of the Mayor’s Cleaner Croydon campaign – reclaiming streets, restoring pride, and making every community a place residents are proud to call home.
