Exeter - Scrap pickup

Scrap and end of life pickup in Exeter

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£0+

From, car

24/7

Dispatch

Strategic link

None

Clean Air Zone

Indicative price

Scrap pickup in Exeter

Bands per vehicle class. Final figure confirmed at booking.

Passenger carFrom £80

Electric vehicleFrom £40

See full price matrix

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cheap car tow is a booking and price-publication service. The recovery itself is performed by an independent PAS 43 compliant operator dispatched at the published rate. See terms for the operator-panel arrangement.

Urban A-road junction with traffic signals, typical UK city centre

Scrap and end of life pickup, Exeter indicative price by vehicle class

Valid from 2026-05-17. Bands cover urban-hours dispatch within the cited radius.

Vehicle class	Indicative band	Note
Car	£0 - £80	Up to 3,500 kg gross vehicle weight
Van	£0 - £110	3,500 kg to 7,500 kg gross vehicle weight
Electric vehicle	£40 - £140	Up to 3,500 kg with battery pack
Classic car	£60 - £180	Up to 3,500 kg, pre-1980 typically
Motorhome	£120 - £260	Up to 7,500 kg with habitation load
Motorbike or scooter	£0 - £60	Up to 600 kg with rider equipment

Exeter

Scrap and end of life pickup in Exeter

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End-of-life vehicle collection in Exeter

An end-of-life vehicle pickup from Exeter routes the vehicle to the nearest Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) with active permit status. The nearest Authorised Treatment Facility is published in the Environment Agency directory; we route end-of-life pickups to the closest available facility on the day. The ATF depollutes and destroys the vehicle under the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 and issues a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) automatically through the DVLA's system, you do not need to separately notify the DVLA.

The pickup covers: collection from your Exeter address (one of EX1, EX2 and adjacent postcodes), transport to the ATF, and the CoD. Keep the CoD reference; it closes the vehicle's DVLA record and protects you from liability for any subsequent incident involving the vehicle's shell.

Scrap metal dealers operating without an ATF permit cannot legally issue a CoD and cannot legally handle the depollution fluids. Check the Environment Agency ATF directory to confirm the facility's active permit status before handing over a vehicle to any operator.

insight

What scrap pickup looks like in Exeter

Collect a scrap or end-of-life vehicle and deliver it to an Authorised Treatment Facility under the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003, with the Certificate of Destruction the keeper needs to notify DVLA. In Exeter, dispatch density reflects the local mix of urban arterials and trunk-road links: The nearest strategic road link is M5., with The dominant local A-road is A30, which carries most through traffic.

Population is approximately 130,000 per ONS mid-year estimates. Devon and Cornwall Police is the police force covering Exeter. Exeter City Council is the local authority for the area.

There is no active Clean Air Zone (CAZ) or Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge in this area. The area is outside the London ULEZ.

by the numbers

Recovery dispatch under Devon and Cornwall Police

Devon and Cornwall Police cover the M5 south of Exeter, the A30 to Penzance and the A38 Devon expressway. The force operates the longest single recovery beat of any English constabulary; its panel members are required to meet a 60-minute target on the strategic network. The recovery scheme is published on devon-cornwall.police.uk and tariff variations apply west of Bodmin.

For private bookings, the dispatcher does not need a police instruction; the recovery is initiated through the cheap car tow panel using the published rate framework. The constabulary's role only activates when an officer attends the scene before the operator arrives.

the moment

South West England regional context for scrap pickup

South West England has the longest single recovery beat of any English region. The M5 runs from Bristol to Exeter; west of Exeter the A30 and A38 cover Cornwall and West Devon. Operator density drops west of Bridgwater, and panels operate longer response targets reflecting the geography. The Bristol and Bath Clean Air Zones overlay the eastern part of the region. Tourist-season volume peaks April to September; off-peak winter pickup volumes are dominated by long-distance tows back to the Midlands and the North.

For scrap pickup bookings inside this region, dispatch density and target response times follow the regional pattern described above. Exeter sits within that pattern; the operator panel reflects the regional response profile.

in the press

Exeter postcode coverage and operator depots

Exeter operator coverage runs across the EX1, EX2, EX3, EX4 postcode areas. Urban dispatch positions trucks near the principal arterials so that recovery within the postcode area meets the published response target. Postcode adjacency, not administrative boundary, determines which depot the dispatcher routes to a given call.

EX area: EX postcode area covers Exeter, Exmouth, Honiton, Tiverton, Barnstaple and the rural Exe valley. The M5 motorway terminates at J31 Exeter and feeds the A30 trans-peninsula trunk road which carries holiday traffic to Cornwall. The A38 forks at the Splatford Split south of Exeter and runs to Plymouth, while the A39 Atlantic Highway tracks the north Devon coast to Bideford and Bude. Recovery work concentrates around the Sandygate and Sowton roundabouts at the M5 J30, and the steep Telegraph Hill on the A38 east of Chudleigh is a recurrent HGV-incident location.

Key takeaway · 06

Council reporting and the Exeter City Council pound process

Abandoned-vehicle reports and council-pound enquiries for Exeter are handled by Exeter City Council. The council's customer-services line accepts reports under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 section 3; reports are normally inspected within 24 hours and removed within seven working days if confirmed abandoned. The release fee is set by Exeter City Council and published on its website.

For an abandoned vehicle on a public road, the council inspects and tags the vehicle, leaves it for the statutory notice period, then instructs the contracted recovery operator. The vehicle is taken to the council pound; the registered keeper is identified through the DVLA keeper register and notified of the charges in writing. Council recovery pound details for this area are to be confirmed; call the council directly on the published number for the live pound address.

For a vehicle parked illegally (rather than abandoned) the process is shorter: the parking enforcement officer can authorise immediate removal under the Road Traffic Act 1991. Release fees and storage charges differ between the abandoned-vehicle scheme and the parking enforcement scheme; both are published on the council website.

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Nearest Authorised Treatment Facility for end-of-life pickups from Exeter

End-of-life vehicles from Exeter are routed to Newbery Metals Limited, EX2 8LN, the nearest active Authorised Treatment Facility on the Environment Agency directory. The site holds an active permit for vehicle depollution and issues the Certificate of Destruction (CoD) automatically through the DVLA system. The dispatcher re-verifies the ATF permit at the point of pickup; if the site is at capacity the load is routed to the next closest verified facility.

Scrap metal dealers without an ATF permit cannot legally issue a Certificate of Destruction. Verify the destination facility on gov.uk before handing over a vehicle.

insight

Local infrastructure and dispatch hubs

Local postcode coverage: EX1, EX2, EX3, EX4. Operators on the cheap car tow panel position trucks near key intersections to keep urban response within target. The nearest strategic road link is M5. provides the long-haul lift if the agreed destination is outside the city.

Council recovery pound details for this area are to be confirmed; call the council directly on the published number for the live pound address. The nearest Authorised Treatment Facility is published in the Environment Agency directory; we route end-of-life pickups to the closest available facility on the day.

For background on the recovery management standard see PAS 43; on motorway dispatch see National Highways.

by the numbers

Published price band in Exeter

The scrap and end of life pickup band is the same in Exeter as in the rest of the UK. The framework keeps the rate predictable so urban and rural drivers see the same indicative figure. There is no active Clean Air Zone (CAZ) or Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge in this area.

The matrix below shows the indicative band by vehicle class for Exeter. See the pricing page for the full methodology, the Scrap and end of life pickup service hub for the procedure, and the Exeter city page for local context.

the moment

What to do at the scene

Move the vehicle to a safe position if you can. Stand behind the safety barrier. Call the published booking line or open the contact form. The dispatcher asks for the postcode (one of EX1, EX2, EX3), vehicle class and any access constraints such as a low-clearance car park or a CAZ-restricted area.

The Highway Code rules 274 to 287 apply to UK roadside breakdowns; see gov.uk. For after-collision duties see Road Traffic Act 1988 section 170.

Local facts used on this page

Population is approximately 130,000 per ONS mid-year estimates.
Exeter sits in South West England.
Devon and Cornwall Police is the police force covering Exeter.
Exeter City Council is the local authority for the area.
The nearest strategic road link is M5.
The dominant local A-road is A30, which carries most through traffic.
The area is outside the London ULEZ.
There is no active Clean Air Zone (CAZ) or Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge in this area.
Council recovery pound details for this area are to be confirmed; call the council directly on the published number for the live pound address.
The nearest Authorised Treatment Facility is published in the Environment Agency directory; we route end-of-life pickups to the closest available facility on the day.
Local postcode coverage: EX1, EX2, EX3, EX4.

Related coverage

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Do you cover scrap and end of life pickup in Exeter?

Yes. Exeter is covered by the same published rate as the rest of the UK. Devon and Cornwall Police is the police force covering Exeter. There is no active Clean Air Zone (CAZ) or Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge in this area.

How much is scrap pickup in Exeter?

From £80 for a passenger car. Final quote confirmed at booking by the dispatched operator. Full price matrix on the pricing page.

Where will my vehicle be taken?

Default destination is the operator's secure compound or a nominated garage in the South West England area. Council recovery pound details for this area are to be confirmed; call the council directly on the published number for the live pound address.

Is there a CAZ or ULEZ charge to worry about?

There is no active Clean Air Zone (CAZ) or Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge in this area. The area is outside the London ULEZ.

How long does dispatch take?

Urban dispatch in Exeter is typically faster than rural areas because of operator density. The dispatcher gives you a confirmed window when the booking is placed.

Who instructs the recovery if the police arrive first?

How do I report an abandoned vehicle in Exeter?

Exeter City Council accepts reports under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 section 3. The council inspects within 24 hours and removes within seven working days if confirmed abandoned. The recovered vehicle goes to the council pound; release fees are published on the council website.

Is the published rate the same in South West England?

Yes. The published-rate framework applies UK-wide. The only regional variation is the CAZ or ULEZ charge that affects the operator's truck on entry; that charge is absorbed inside the band, not added to the invoice.

Book scrap and end of life pickup in Exeter

Published rate, PAS 43 operator panel, 24/7 dispatch across South West England.

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