My first port of call would be the Uni website to see if there's anything there. Failing that daughter should speak to Uni admin and ask for details of the policy and a written explanation. Most likely its a chinese whisper that's got legs but then .....

Clamping on private land is illegal since October 2012 or thereabouts. The Council on the other hand probably does have a power to clamp under the order providing for Civil Enforcement in its area. Most Councils sought/obtained clamping powers when obtaining such an order even though they stated they had no immediate intention of using it.

I'm just slightly concerned that, if there is a CPA/CPZ there might be something delegating powers to the Uni. I'd expect it to involve permits though and a provision that they would not be issued to students.

What SP says is certainly true around my Daughter's Uni in Sheffield. If a significant number of students have/use cars they clog up streets surrounding Halls, lecture campuses and the areas of town where student lets predominate. Some zip back and forth to lectures, others are hardly used at all and just sit in the street gathering grime.

Student cars then inevitably become a cause of friction with local residents. CPZs and permit schemes to ration space are one possibiity but are an imposition on the non student majority.

Another would be terms in students hall contracts or their contracts of admission to the Uni that restrict cars being kept on ite or in nearby streets. Quite how the Council get involved (unless there is a CPZ) other than via resident's complaints I'm not sure.

Unil the OP comes back though it's difficult to offer anything conclusive.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 22/04/2014 at 20:18

Ha does she go to Lancaster Uni by any chance?! This sounds very similar to what happens there! I don't think they have the right if you're taxed and not illegally parked.

But Lancaster is a campus University. Why do students need to clog up streets with cars?

Did OP get any further with inquiries?