Pavement parking could soon be banned in areas across the UK

Pavement parking could soon be banned in your local area after the Government greenlit new legislation that would expand council powers to enforce restrictions.

Following a public consultation, local leaders will be granted more far-reaching powers that “make it easier to restrict pavement parking across wider areas”. Previously, councils could ban pavement parking via a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), but these have typically been restricted to small areas, such as single streets, because of the lengthy and exhaustive legal processes required to sign one off.

It’s already illegal to pavement park in London and some areas in Scotland, and doing so there could net you a £70 or £100 fine respectively; paying the Penalty Charge Notice within 14 days will reduce the amount you have to fork out, though.

Soon, however, strategic authorities, unitary authorities (such as metropolitan or district councils) and county councils will have the power to choose whether they wish to enforce their own blanket bans. But authorities will have the flexibility to allow exemptions, such as on narrow streets where pavement parking would maintain traffic flow.

As you might expect, this will all require the sign-off of secondary legislation, which demands scrutiny from Parliament – something that can take months. In the meantime, the Government is enabling uniformed civil enforcement officers to penalise what it describes as “unnecessary obstruction of the pavement” – likely through a fine, although this is yet to be confirmed.

Local transport minister Lilian Greenwood said: “Clear pavements are essential for people to move around safely and independently… That’s why we’re giving local authorities the power to crack down on problem pavement parking, allowing more people to travel easily and safely and get to where they need to go.”

One of the main drivers for this change is how pavement parking can impede the mobility of disabled people whose access might be blocked if they’re using a wheelchair or walking frame. 

Chief executive of the charity Guide Dogs, Andrew Lennox, explained: “Cars blocking pavements are a nuisance for everyone, but especially dangerous for people with sight loss, who can be forced into the road with traffic they can’t see.”

All of this comes soon after the Government announced its new Road Safety Strategy, which aims to cut road deaths by more than half over the next decade. It hopes to achieve this through measures such as tri-annual eye tests for those over 70, a mandatory minimum learning period for new drivers and a reduced drink-drive limit.

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