Hampshire · city guide
Most of Portsmouth sits on Portsea Island, one of the most densely populated places in the country. Parking is tight, streets are lined with terraces, and an unused car takes up space that neighbours notice.
Free collection
Start with the registration and the postcode where the car is parked.
Portsmouth City Council is a unitary authority. Only a handful of roads cross from the island to the mainland, including the M275 into the city centre and the Eastern Road towards Hilsea, so traffic funnels through them at busy times.
Southsea, Fratton and North End are dense grids of Victorian terraces with on-street parking. Residents’ parking zones cover many of these streets, and finding a space close to home is often hard.
A car in a residents' zone needs a valid permit; an untaxed car on the street can be clamped.
Give the nearest junction where a truck can stop, as most island streets are lined with parked cars on both sides.
Collection is free; payment is by bank transfer.
Tell the DVLA, cancel insurance and cancel any parking permit with the city council.
Portsmouth introduced a Class B clean air zone in November 2021, covering part of the city centre and the approach to the ferry ports. It charges older buses, coaches, lorries, taxis and private hire vehicles. Private cars are not charged, whatever their age.
Not all of the city is on the island. Cosham, Drayton, Farlington and Paulsgrove lie on the mainland at the foot of Portsdown Hill, with more semi-detached homes, drives and garages than the island streets. Collection there is usually straightforward, and recovery vehicles reach it quickly from the M27 and the A27.
On the island, Southsea seafront and the streets near Fratton Park become busier on summer days and match days. Booking collection for a quieter weekday makes the driver’s job easier and keeps the time window short.
Portsmouth at a glance
Questions
Answers specific to scrapping a car here.
Portsmouth City Council.
Not if it is a private car. The zone charges certain commercial vehicles, taxis and private hire vehicles only.
Seafront car parks are run by the city council with their own rules. It is usually simpler to collect from your home street, or to check with the council before arranging collection from a car park.
Start with the registration and postcode. A licensed buyer covering your area comes back with an offer, and collection is free.