Car Manufacturers - Free take-back of unwanted vehicles

Under new Government regulations, car owners are now entitled to a free take-back of their old unwanted car, when it reaches the end of it’s life. Car manufacturers have set-up a national network of Authorised Treatment Facility take-back points that will accept unwanted cars free of charge.

You may deliver your unwanted vehicle to the licensed take-back points or arrange for collection. To find your nearest Authorised Treatment Facility, please refer to the following - www.cartakeback.com

Authorised Treatment Facilities are licensed by the Environment Agency. Your unwanted vehicle will be de-polluted and disposed of responsibly and you will be given a Certificate of Destruction, which will inform DVLA to deregister the vehicle.

If you own a vehicle, which you no longer want, it is your responsibility to dispose of it properly.

North Hertfordshire District Council has a duty to remove abandoned vehicles from the highway and treats this problem very seriously and will prosecute or fine anyone abandoning a vehicle.

Under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978, it is an offence to abandon a motor vehicle or anything that has formed part of a motor vehicle or abandon anything else on the highway. A person found guilty of such an offence may be punished on summary conviction to a fine of a maximum penalty of £2,500 or up to three months imprisonment or both. An Authorised Officer of the Council may offer a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200, plus removal, storage and disposal costs, as an alternative to prosecution at Magistrates Court.

Government Vehicle Scrappage Scheme

The Government will provide a £1,000 incentive, with matched funding from vehicle manufacturers, for consumers to replace their 10 year old or older vehicle (8 years in the case of vans) with a brand new vehicle.  For further details www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/sectors/automotive/scrappage/page51068.html .

Contact Details

If you wish to report an abandoned vehicle, please contact the Customer Service Centre on 01462 474000 or e-mail service@north-herts.gov.uk .

If the vehicle is on private land, please contact the landowner directly.