Councils are calling for a ban on pavement parking across England

Councils have called on the government to ban pavement parking across England – not just London – and punish motorists who block footpaths, especially for vulnerable people and the disabled.

The Local Government Association (LGA) says more powers should be given to local authorities to enforce parking restrictions to make streets safer and ‘tackling the scourge’ of drivers blocking access for people in mobility scooters, wheelchairs and children in buggies.

The demand for enforcement powers comes more than three years after the Ministry of Transport concluded a consultation on pavement parking, but no action was taken.

When motorists park partially (and sometimes completely) on the sidewalk, this is often due to the narrowness of the road.

Placing at least two wheels on the sidewalk creates more space for other vehicles to drive safely through tight spaces.

However, this often has adverse consequences for pedestrians, especially those with mobility problems.

The LGA says older and disabled people, as well as parents with pushchairs and younger children, are regularly forced to navigate around vehicles mounted on the curb or on the footpath.

This puts these pedestrians at greater risk when they enter the road and encounter oncoming traffic.

The association says this may pose the greatest danger to blind and partially sighted people.

If motorists park partially on the sidewalk, this is often due to the narrow road. Placing at least two wheels on the sidewalk creates more space for other vehicles to drive safely through tight spaces. However, this is often at the expense of pedestrians

The LGA says older and disabled people, as well as parents with pushchairs and younger children, are regularly forced to navigate around vehicles mounted on the curb or on the footpath

Parking on sidewalks poses perhaps the greatest danger to the blind and partially sighted

Yet there is a secondary impact due to the parking of heavy vehicles on footpaths that are not designed to carry such loads.

It can cause sidewalks to crack and damage the surface, which in turn creates tripping and injury hazards for pedestrians.

The LGA says this also means expensive repairs and maintenance, resulting from their increasingly tight budgets.

Pavement parking is currently only banned in London, where councils have the power to exempt certain roads.

After calls from various groups, the The government has started a consultation to investigate whether the ban could be extended to the whole of England.

However, an announcement has yet to be made on the findings and what changes could be made to legislation to help councils crack down on pavement parking.

Scotland has now introduced a national parking ban this year.

Local authorities can issue fines of £100 if they identify drivers parking on pavements and blocking the footpath for pedestrians. The fine amount is reduced to £50 if you pay within 14 days.

There will also be a consultation in Wales on the introduction of restrictions on pavement parking.

The LGA, which represents councils in England and Wales, said a change in the rules was ‘long overdue’ and would help councils meet national targets to encourage more walking and cycling, while older and vulnerable people are protected from injury.

In 2020, the DfT launched a consultation on extending the ban on sidewalk parking across England. However, no announcement has been made about the findings yet

London is the only place in England where it is illegal to park on the pavement, even if it is only one or two wheels away. Scotland introduced a ban this year

The LGA says there is a secondary problem with on-street parking: as well as blocking access for vulnerable pedestrians, it can also cause damage to footpaths which they will then need to repair if they threaten to cause injury.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, transport spokesperson for the LGA, added: ‘Parking on pavement is one of the biggest complaints from pedestrians, but three years on, councils outside London still don’t have the powers they need to tackle this scourge .

‘Vulnerable people and disabled people, including wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs, are being forced onto the roads due to the careless parking of some drivers, which poses a real danger and possible danger to life.

‘Repairing curbs and pavements damaged by on-street parking is also expensive and this funding would be better used to re-pave our roads and pavements, support local buses and provide more suitable parking.

‘If we want to meet the government’s ambition for half of all journeys in English towns and cities to be walked, cycled or cycled by 2030, then it makes sense to give councils across the country the same powers as in the capital, making our streets safer and sidewalks open to all.’

This is Money has contacted the Department for Transport for comment.

A DfT spokesperson said: ‘Everyone should be able to navigate the streets without obstacles, and while local authorities already have the power to ban on-street parking through local regulations, we have consulted to help them take further action.

“The response to this will be published in due course.”

The DfT added that through Traffic Regulation Orders, using powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act, councils can issue Penalty Charge Notices (‘parking tickets’) to offending vehicles and have the authority to remove vehicles. that are illegally parked.