Saudi supercars caught up in Mayfair backlash over blocked pavements

London's Westminster City Council tells The National it is clearing streets near former US embassy

A London council says it is towing the expensive vehicles because fines 'barely register'. Photo: Westminster City Council

A Saudi Arabia-registered Rolls-Royce has been towed in London as authorities ordered a clear-up around the former US embassy building in London, where a hotel has opened.

The hotel has become a supercar parking black spot, triggering a showdown with Westminster City Council, which has resorted to removing the expensive vehicles, because fines “barely register”.

A Saudi Arabia-registered Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe being towed away. Photo: Westminster City Council

Officials told The National the council had been forced into the tactic in the Mayfair district after it was “inundated with complaints” from residents about the situation since the exclusive Chancery Rosewood hotel opened in Grosvenor Square.

With patrons and other visitors parking their vehicles illegally on the pavement outside, officials decided to publicise the crackdown in the hope of reducing the blockages.

Fed up with non-payment of fines, the council took the drastic action of removing the supercars, including a blue Saudi-registered two-door Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe, powered by a V12 engine and worth up to $300,000.

Another car taken away was a black Ferrari Purosangue, also Saudi Arabia-registered, which is the Italian company’s high-performance four-door V12 “SUV” and is valued, due to high demand, at $650,000. Other cars that were towed included a Lamborghini.

The penalty for parking illegally is up to £160 ($210) with a 50 per cent reduction if the fine is paid within 14 days.

Several Saudi Arabia-registered cars are now parked legally around the corner from the hotel. The National

A night at the Chancery Rosewood starts at around £1,850 ($2,500). The council said it was exasperated that the usual approach of issuing tickets had proven ineffective because of traceability issues.

“The vehicles are foreign-registered – the ones we photographed have Saudi number plates – so the chances of recovering the costs are virtually nil,” a spokeswoman told The National. “And the owners of the vehicles are so wealthy that fines barely register.”

A number of cars, including the Saudi Phantom and a Lamborghini, were lifted on to a tow lorry and moved to another street but others were driven away voluntarily by their owners “once our guys arrived”, the council said.

Grosvenor Square and surrounding parts of Mayfair. Photo: Beauchamp Estates

“Those on foot shouldn’t have to run a gauntlet of illegally and selfishly parked supercars when trying to walk around Westminster,” said councillor Max Sullivan, who is responsible for streets.

“That’s why we’ve used our relocation vehicle to physically move these cars out of the way. We will not tolerate dangerous pavement parking, whether it’s a Lime bike or a Lamborghini.”

A $650,000 Ferrari Purosangue. Photo: Westminster City Council

While the council has used private agencies to enforce fines for European-registered cars, it has fewer options with cars registered further afield. Drivers of imported vehicles from other parts of the world are close to impossible to track down for payment.