Croydon Council has clamped down on a rogue garage and shut it down following a series of antisocial behaviour complaints. The company on Parchmore Road, Thornton Heath, was linked to dangerous and untaxed vehicles and was duly closed at Croydon Crown Court.
The closure notice was issued at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on May 6, meaning the premises were closed immediately after noise complaints and work carried out on the road in public, among other issues. The action came after the council found unsafe and untaxed vehicles seized and destroyed during an operation.
Mayor Visits Site
Executive Mayor Jason Perry visited the site during the operation and spoke with locals, promising further action as part of his crackdown on antisocial behaviour. The antisocial behaviour was linked to owner Mohammed Chaudhry and included obstructing the road and pavement with unroadworthy and dangerous vehicles, carrying out vehicle repairs on the public road, damaging paving and tarmac, and causing repeated noise issues.
There were also reports of drains being blocked with used oil and other materials, alongside incidents of verbal abuse, threatening and intimidating behaviour, traffic obstruction, and ongoing disturbance and distress to residents, members of the public and other road users.
Enforcement Actions
Chaudhry was hit with several warnings and was twice served with Community Protection Notices. He was also issued Fixed Penalty Notices, which he did not pay. Closure orders are subject to legal time limits set by the courts, and breaching the order is a criminal offence that will result in further enforcement action.
Executive Mayor Jason Perry said: “This closure order sends a clear message that we are taking a zero-tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour and businesses that put our residents at risk or undermine our neighbourhoods. We have already taken decisive action to remove dangerous and untaxed vehicles from our streets, and now we are going further by shutting down the source of this activity. Croydon is committed to keeping our communities safe, and maintaining neighbourhoods residents can be proud to call home.”
