Government ministers are planning new legislation to limit the powers of clampers across England and Wales. Lynne Featherstone, the Home Office minister, intends to bring laws in line with those currently employed in Scotland where clamping on private land has been banned. The industry, which is said to be worth approximately £1bn a year, has left the army of clampers who charge what many see as ‘extortionate fees’, despised by many, however Partrick Troy, chief executive of the British Parking Association led a more muted response to the proposed changes.
He reacted to the suggested changes in legislation by saying, “If clamping is banned the Government must describe how it would protect landowners’ interests where vehicles are parked unlawfully on their land.”
Love them or hate them, and let’s face it most people are of the latter persuasion, clampers like many other forms of civil enforcement agents perform a much needed function in society. Take away too many of the powers which they utilise and we could be facing a future of ‘parking anarchy’.
