The increasing number of abandoned vehicles in the Maldon district has given rise to concern.

Abandoned vehicles can be an eyesore, contaminate land and can quickly become targets for vandalism.

Now district councillors are pushing the county council to pay for storage and disposal of the vehicles and set up a longer term solution to the problem.

In a report from the director of planning services, Andrew White, to the planning, highways and environmental services committee last Thursday it said: "It is predicted that the council will receive 308 complaints by the account year-end and will have disposed of 131 vehicles.

"This compares with 28 and 21 disposals for the previous two years."

The district council has a duty to remove abandoned vehicles and the county council is under a duty to store and dispose of those handed over by the district council.

But the district council received a letter from the county stating it was not prepared to pay as it was continuing to explore alternative arrangements for the disposal of abandoned vehicles.

A report is due to go to its waste management sub-committee on February 24.

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