Bognor crackdown on kerbside car sales

Arun District Council has been given powers to tackle the menace of car dealers who line roads with vehicles for sale.

Among the hotspots set to be tackled is an access road on the north side of Upper Bognor Road.

The council has been given the authority to act from West Sussex County Council in its role as the highways authority.

Arun is the only council around West Sussex to be involved in the trial. It will be extended if it is successful.

A report by Andy Ekinsmyth, county divisional manager southern area highways, states: "Vehicles advertised for sale on the highway can have a detrimental impact on the street scene and can create a local nuisance.

"They are often placed causing an obstruction, denying the public legitimate use of certain lay-bys and can create a potentially dangerous distraction at busy road junctions."

The need to tackle the scourge of the sales has long been identified by all councillors.

They backed the use of powers by Arun under the Highways Act 1980 to try to help residents in areas plagued by vehicles.

Figures put together by Richard Bartram, Arun's community safety officer, show that between 24 and 37 vehicles were on sale at kerbsides around the district each month from last April to last November.

An Arun spokeswoman said: "The council are currently developing the protocol for the pilot scheme in Arun to tackle vehicle sales on the highway. It is hoped that the initiative will be in place by the end of the year. A length for the pilot has not been set. It will continue as long as it is successful.

"It is anticipated that Arun's existing outdoor patrol officers, such as the street scene officers, could take on the policing of the initiative."

She stressed the pilot would not be looking to penalise individual residents who have a 'For Sale' sign in their car outside their property.

It was concerned with persistent traders who had multiple vehicles for sale and were using laybys and roadsides to operate their 'business'.

n One of the vehicle selling hotspots is a layby on the west side of Chalcraft Lane. This had as many as seven vehicles for sale last weekend.

It is about to be covered by legal order banning continuous parking in a bid to free the space for genuine motorists.

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