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geekman
I've recently moved away to uni, and have brought my car with me. I have no permit to park on campus, and will not be allocated one as I'm staying only a couple of miles from the uni. This isn't really a problem, as there's lots of local roads with no parking restrictions where I'm allowed to park. However, before I arrived, my uni sent out an email telling all students that cars found regularly parking in the local area would be clamped or towed, and apparently they work very closely with the police to facilitate this!
I'm not an expert, but this sounds like a load of crap. Surely if I'm legally parked, and not blocking anyone's drive, the police aren't allowed to go near my car. I've been parking locally for several days and have heard nothing, but before I start doing it regularly I wanted to make sure that, legally, I'm right.
Thanks!
albert2008
sounds like B.S, how do they know the car belongs to a student,

if the uni got mine towed and I was not a student or anything to do with them
there would be hell to pay,
geekman
QUOTE (albert2008 @ Thu, 27 Sep 2012 - 16:47) *
sounds like B.S, how do they know the car belongs to a student,

if the uni got mine towed and I was not a student or anything to do with them
there would be hell to pay,

I have a permit stuck to the windscreen so it would be possible to identify it. It's not a very "student-ish" type of car though, so I'd be surprised if they even thought to check it.
anon45
QUOTE (geekman @ Thu, 27 Sep 2012 - 16:42) *
I've recently moved away to uni, and have brought my car with me. I have no permit to park on campus, and will not be allocated one as I'm staying only a couple of miles from the uni. This isn't really a problem, as there's lots of local roads with no parking restrictions where I'm allowed to park. However, before I arrived, my uni sent out an email telling all students that cars found regularly parking in the local area would be clamped or towed, and apparently they work very closely with the police to facilitate this!
I'm not an expert, but this sounds like a load of crap. Surely if I'm legally parked, and not blocking anyone's drive, the police aren't allowed to go near my car. I've been parking locally for several days and have heard nothing, but before I start doing it regularly I wanted to make sure that, legally, I'm right.
Thanks!


I'm not legally qualified nor experienced in this matter, but my 'best guess' is that:
1) The university can make parking regulations for students, (including regulations relating to off-campus parking) and could, at least in theory, discipline students for any breach, including withholding degrees for non-payment of "fines" imposed directly by the university following a formal disciplinary hearing (but not, IMO, unenforceable invoices sent by PPCs);
2) Any breach of the said regulations is an internal 'civil matter' between the university and its students, and neither the university nor the police would have 'lawful authority' to clamp or tow a car which is legitimately parked on public land, solely based on such a private dispute;
3) From next Monday, any clamping or towing without lawful authority will be a criminal offence, and doing so for the purpose of demanding a ransom is likely to constitute blackmail and extortion.
Incandescent
It sounds like BS, but a lot depends on whether parking enforcement is still with the police, or with the council. The police can issue Fixed Penalty Notices for obstruction, and there need not be any parking restrictions at all. Thesed FPNs are only challengeable in the magistrates court, but clamping and towing is not done. However if council are operating CPE, then they can tow and clamp cars parked in contravention of parking regulations. However, if the road is not restricted for parking then you can park. Even if CPE is in operation, on unrestricted streets, the police can still issue FPNs for obstruction.

You really do need to have some sensitivity, however, as local residents get very cross at people parking up for days on end and preventing them from parking, and of friends visiting them being unable to park.
SchoolRunMum
QUOTE (geekman @ Thu, 27 Sep 2012 - 16:42) *
I've recently moved away to uni, and have brought my car with me. I have no permit to park on campus, and will not be allocated one as I'm staying only a couple of miles from the uni. This isn't really a problem, as there's lots of local roads with no parking restrictions where I'm allowed to park. However, before I arrived, my uni sent out an email telling all students that cars found regularly parking in the local area would be clamped or towed, and apparently they work very closely with the police to facilitate this!
I'm not an expert, but this sounds like a load of crap. Surely if I'm legally parked, and not blocking anyone's drive, the police aren't allowed to go near my car. I've been parking locally for several days and have heard nothing, but before I start doing it regularly I wanted to make sure that, legally, I'm right.
Thanks!





Welcome to the University of Nottingham...am I right?!

Seen a thread about this rubbish before.
Bogsy
QUOTE (anon45 @ Thu, 27 Sep 2012 - 17:36) *
I'm not legally qualified nor experienced in this matter, but my 'best guess' is that:
1) The university can make parking regulations for students, (including regulations relating to off-campus parking) and could, at least in theory, discipline students for any breach, including withholding degrees for non-payment of "fines" imposed directly by the university following a formal disciplinary hearing (but not, IMO, unenforceable invoices sent by PPCs);
2) Any breach of the said regulations is an internal 'civil matter' between the university and its students, and neither the university nor the police would have 'lawful authority' to clamp or tow a car which is legitimately parked on public land, solely based on such a private dispute;
3) From next Monday, any clamping or towing without lawful authority will be a criminal offence, and doing so for the purpose of demanding a ransom is likely to constitute blackmail and extortion.


A university can only regulate parking on University land. Parking on the public highway is not something the University can regulate or penalise. Even the Police are unlikely to show any interest in parking issues unless an obstruction is caused.

It sounds like BS to me and an attempt to scare students into not hogging all the local parking spaces which has an adverse effect on local residents. If locals want to restrict student parking then they should approach their local highway dept to introduce resident permits not put pressure on the University to manipulate and deceive students.


Chaseman
QUOTE (Incandescent @ Thu, 27 Sep 2012 - 17:48) *
It sounds like BS, but a lot depends on whether parking enforcement is still with the police, or with the council. The police can issue Fixed Penalty Notices for obstruction, and there need not be any parking restrictions at all. Thesed FPNs are only challengeable in the magistrates court, but clamping and towing is not done. However if council are operating CPE, then they can tow and clamp cars parked in contravention of parking regulations. However, if the road is not restricted for parking then you can park. Even if CPE is in operation, on unrestricted streets, the police can still issue FPNs for obstruction.

You really do need to have some sensitivity, however, as local residents get very cross at people parking up for days on end and preventing them from parking, and of friends visiting them being unable to park.


Agree with previous posts and moreover, as per quote above, why should "local residents" be able to park their cars if local residents who happen to be students can't? It's all very well being a local resident but if you have a student flat in the area then that makes you a resident as well. Why should you be treated as a second class citizen? It would be interesting to see what the offence code was on the PCN when you got clamped or towed. "Parking a car while being a student"?
Incandescent
Yes, sensible point, a resident is a resident student or not, but the problem is when students are in campus accommodation, but park cars off campus in residential streets.
Bogsy
QUOTE (Incandescent @ Thu, 27 Sep 2012 - 23:10) *
the problem is when students are in campus accommodation, but park cars off campus in residential streets.


The streets are only residential streets if there is a residential permit scheme. Residents of a street do not own the public highway adjacent to their homes. The public highway outside any residence is maintained from the public purse and is available to any motorist unless a traffic regulation order says otherwise. When you buy/rent a house you do not also buy/rent the right to park outside it. This even applies where resident permit schemes operate. Students or anyone can park where no parking restrictions apply and it is lawful. It is wrong to threaten to penalise a student or any motorist that is parking lawfully.

I advise the OP to check that they are not in a resident permit zone. Such zones will often have no bay markings and no signage other than at the entry points into the zone which if you fail to observe the entry signs can give the impression that parking in the area is unregulated.
hcandersen
Where's this email.

We need to see exactly what it says, not your precis.

HCA
WageSlave
I can see that the University might have a legitimate interest in seeing that its students do not park on local streets as this might antagonise residents in the 'host community'. [And, of course, if the Uni levy parking charges they'll want the students to park in their own car parks and pay these charges rather than find free on-street parking - albeit this financial motivation ought not to be a relevant consideration for them] To this end the Uni might try to put some sort of onus on the students that they will not park in local streets within x miles of the campus (unless they live on that street or are visiting someone who does). This would doubtless be done by sticking something in a document somewhere such that the student will have notionally agreed to it.

But I cannot see that the police or the local council would dare clamp or tow a student's car from where it was legally parked. Sounds like a load of nonsense. Will the police be conducting dawn raids or administering punishment beatings for fines owed to the University library?
Bruno
If this is Nottingham university, they only allow a select few onto the campus to park and those that do have to pay the working place parking levy that the prats at Nottingham city council have bought in to pay for the 2 new tram lines.
If you visit the Cripps health centre and dentists on the campus you get 1 hours free parking and have to put in your registration number at the machine before it prints your ticket, if you happen to get delayed by the dentist or doctor running late and your hour is up you cannot pay to stop longer and have to get into your car and drive to another part of the campus to use a pay and display car park.
If it is the Nottingham Trent university (Clifton campus) all the nearby roads have been made resident parking permit holders only parking.
geekman
Thanks for the replies. The university isn't Nottingham, although I've heard horror stories about their parking issues I've been trying to find the email, but unfortunately the page it links to appears to have been taken off their website. I've managed to find these two PDFs, which are similar to what I was sent, but neither really quantify the extent of police involvement or indeed mention police procedures, unlike what I was orignally sent.

http://tinyurl.com/9avjpgn
http://tinyurl.com/9hpru3m

To clarify my position, I do not intend to park "anti-socially", but parking in the local streets is plentiful, and therefore I see no reason why I shouldn't use it. The bus service they mention is pretty poor and irregular, and massively inconvenient, for example, if I have a lecture that finishes at 10AM, and another at midday, by the time I've waited for the bus and used it to get back to my halls, I'd have to come all the way back again.
metalmick
out of interest what is a car that is not of a type generaly used by students
mike biggrin.gif
Lynnzer
A Lexus maybe?
geekman
QUOTE (metalmick @ Tue, 2 Oct 2012 - 21:51) *
out of interest what is a car that is not of a type generaly used by students
mike biggrin.gif

Oh nothing fancy, just a mazda three sport: I have yet to see an owner under 40!
ItchyCrakus
QUOTE (geekman @ Thu, 4 Oct 2012 - 01:04) *
QUOTE (metalmick @ Tue, 2 Oct 2012 - 21:51) *
out of interest what is a car that is not of a type generaly used by students
mike biggrin.gif

Oh nothing fancy, just a mazda three sport: I have yet to see an owner under 40!


When you get to that age and above, the thought of a car that can do anything better than 0-60 in just over 8 seconds becomes a little scarey.

Nice car to potter around and get to Uni in though.

wink.gif
paulajayne
QUOTE (geekman @ Tue, 2 Oct 2012 - 21:00) *
I've been trying to find the email, but unfortunately the page it links to appears to have been taken off their website.



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