Racing ahead with car ban
by Aimi Moores
STOKE-ON-TRENT City Council has joined forces with another local authority in its bid to ban boy racers from the city.
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FACING BAN: Car enthusiasts could soon be stopped from meeting up at Festival Park, Hanley.
The city council and Staffordshire Police have been working together on an application for an injunction against "car cruisers" for more than 12 months.
Council lawyers are hoping to lodge the application with the High Court soon. They have been in talks with officials at Warwickshire County Council, which is hoping to secure a similar injunction, and the two authorities have decided they have more chance of success if they apply simultaneously.
Plans for the injunction were launched following years of complaints from residents and businesses on Festival Park about noise, litter and disruption caused by boy racers congregating there.
The city council decided to apply for a city-wide injunction following the success of a similar ban in Nottinghamshire, which banned 'drivers and passengers of five or more motor vehicles congregating together or driving in convoy or racing each other upon the highway so as by their conduct to make excessive noise, cause danger to other road users or risk of injury to any person or risk of damage to property'.
Anyone caught breaching the injunction could be charged.
A report prepared for the authority's now defunct Executive and Members Board details how the city council and the Warwickshire authority are planning to act together.
It said: "It is considered prudent for both authorities to apply (albeit separately) at the same time to the High Court for two injunctions to restrain the car cruisers in their respective areas.
"The benefit of this would be that the court would be hearing from two authorities who are experiencing the same problems and are both of the view that in these types of cases the circumstances are exceptional."
The city council is pressing ahead with the application despite fears the authority could have to shell out £50,000 if the injunction was successfully challenged.
A similar civil injunction brought by Birmingham City Council against a gang member was overruled at the Court of Appeal last year.
But the council says every effort is being made to make sure the application is watertight against legal challenge.
A city council spokesman added: "This is taking some time because we have been seeking legal advice to make sure the loopholes are closed.
"We are optimistic that we will be making an application in the very near future. We are in the final stages of pulling the case papers together."
Christine Brain, secretary of Etruria Residents' Association, pictured below, said: "For the people who live near Festival Park the injunction can't come soon enough.
"The problems are especially bad at this time of year because people want to be outside but have to suffer the noise.
"The application has been a long time coming but we don't mind waiting – we would rather the injunction is effective and doesn't have any loopholes."
Related content:
Drivers banned for racing at Festival Park
78 Comments
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by andrew white, bentilee
Tuesday, July 14 2009, 12:02PM
“if the council used their brains (for once) they could suply enough land for the cruisers to use and meet on, charge £1-2 per car, job done, somebody with a burger van would do some mega business, the cruisers would be of the street and all the do gooders can stop moaning and a life, i used to be a cruiser but when the coppers started giving it the big i am i stopped going which was about 6 years ago, i fi could afford to buy some land that is what i would do with it”
by TIM, AT WORK not in the sun
Friday, July 03 2009, 7:26PM
“RICHARD, cars are not play things, what i suggest is that they use them to get from A to B.”
by Warren, Meir
Friday, July 03 2009, 6:19PM
“A mum, I take it from your coments you would find it fine for your children to be 'hanging about ' with the Fespark boys/ girls, raceing round a large estate of shops, homes , the area with Stoke's main cinama in and large water theam park, all atracking other 'normal traffic' and people warking around. Well do you think its right now. They should get a life and get a club going. The problem is they want it done for them, and why sould it be. So, if they keep whinging, we have the right to tell them to put up or shut up.”
by A Mum, Stafford Borough
Friday, July 03 2009, 4:07PM
“I'd like to wish ALL you Girls/boys all the best in your fight, I really hope you get somewhere where there are no MISERABLE, SAD, KNOW IT ALLS about to spoil your fun.
You enjoy life while you can, but drive carefully.”
by bhjon, stoke
Friday, July 03 2009, 2:38PM
“i personally hold the opinion that boy racers and their female fans should grow a brain and get a life.”