4:39 pm, November 25, 2022
Illegal car traders in Nottinghamshire are facing a crackdown by enforcement officers.
Residents complained to Gedling Borough Council in the summer because of a ‘noise nuisance’ as well as vehicle trading at a car park off Eastham Road, Arnold.
A subsequent investigation found that cars were being sold illegally by a network of people, with purchasers turning up to view the vehicles and rev them at the site, as well as test-driving them on the road, reported Nottinghamshire Live.
Registration logs and pictures showed that vehicles were prepared and photographed for sale from the car park.
In addition, paperwork was carried out there as well as nearby, with adverts online showing the car park as being used for business.
According to the council, the activities were happening throughout the day, including late at night.
As there was no planning consent, officials wrote to the traders to say that the unauthorised business use should stop at once.
However, that was ignored, and the authority got 20-plus more complaints about vehicles being viewed, tested and sold.
After planning contravention notices were served in July, the activity was said to have slowed down, but it picked up again in late August and September, with the council receiving another 30-plus emails about it.
Officials who visited unannounced on September 28 found there was proof of trading and one person admitted to it the day after.
More visits were carried out last month, and a concerned resident told the council they’d seen a vehicle being sold between 10pm and 11pm on October 17.
They also said eight vehicles were test-driven, prepared, seen and sold between October 1 and November 9.
The council wrote to people who were involved to say that enforcement action would be taken, and now the planning committee will discuss it on Wednesday, November 30.
Officers want a planning enforcement notice to be issued, with court action following if the traders don’t comply.
Council documents say: ‘A breach of planning control has been identified which is detrimental to the character of the area, amenities of nearby occupiers of other residential properties and highway safety.
‘Despite having been advised numerous times to cease the use of the site for the vehicle sales business, they have failed to do so.
‘Vehicles [are] still being brought to the site for preparation and sale. The breach conflicts with both national and local policies.’
They add: ‘The council should now commence enforcement action without delay by issuing a planning enforcement notice requiring the cessation of the unauthorised business and removal of all associated vehicles.
‘If the notice is not complied with, proceedings should be taken in the courts if necessary.’
Pictured via Google Street View is the car park understood to be at the centre of the illegal vehicle trading
