Cut the Clutter
Poorly-placed bins, A-boards and bike racks. Defunct phone boxes. Excessive signage and guard rails.
Street clutter can clog up our pavements and make it hazardous for people to get around.
No one needs it, let's get rid of it
Local street clutter map
What we mean by "clutter"
Here are some examples of things that, when badly-placed, can prove a needless obstacle.
advertising boards or signage
Badly-parked cycles or scooters
Outdoor chairs and tables
Plant containers
wheelie bins
bollards
electric vehicle chargers
Vehicle charging cables across the footway
guard rails
litter bins
disused phoneboxes
badly-placed sign or lampposts
And what about?...
Pavement parking
Pavements are for people not vehicles.
Pavement parking, of course, is already something we have campaigned on specifically for decades. And we are winning.
Pavement cycling
Pavement cycling is illegal.
We want to see this rule enforced better - and for roads to be made safer so cyclists never feel the need to use pavements.
What we want
Living Streets is calling for local authorities to prioritise clearing footways and pavements through measures including (but not limited to):
1. Banning all A-board advertising on the pavement
2. Putting in place plans and budget to remove excess or unused street furniture (eg signs and poles, guard rail and utility boxes or phone boxes)
3. Providing guidance to businesses using pavement space for outdoor entertainment that they must maintain a 1.5m pavement width
4. Ensuring maintenance of trees and hedges that encroach on pavements
5. Making a commitment that EV charging points and cycle storage will only be placed on pavements where 1.5m clearance width for pedestrians can be maintained; where there is insufficient space on the footway road space should be reallocated eg through the use of well-designed build outs.
Work for a council?
Living Streets is already working with local authorities across the country to get people walking more of their local journeys.
Find out how we can help you.
We are proud that our campaign is supported by British Cycling, Cycling UK, Guide Dogs, RNIB and Transport for All.
Transport For All
Transport for All is calling for local authorities to take seven immediate and simple steps to remove the barriers that disabled people face when using footways.
Guide Dogs
Guide Dogs research reveals that 97% of people with a vision impairment have problems with street clutter.
Back the campaign for accessible high streets for all.
On 30 June, we held a webinar to hear more about the ways people are already tackling clutter they encounter where they live.
You can watch a video of all the speakers including campaigners from Transport For All and Living Streets' Edinburgh and Lambeth groups, plus our campaigns team.
This event prioritised access with BSL interpreting and live captions. *To view the captions click the CC/subtitles button on the video.
Campaign instigators - Edinburgh Living Streets Group
Read our Local Group success story.
How they tackled pavement clutter in Edinburgh and brought the council and the city with them.
Living Streets Manifesto calls for a clutter free future
Find out what we are doing in our five year strategy to end street clutter.
Be a part of our future where pavements are accessible for everyone.
take the next step - use our toolkits
Urge your council to clear street clutter
Street clutter includes things like poorly-placed or redundant street furniture, such as defunct phone boxes, or excessive poles for road signs.
This can seem harmless but it can create unnecessary obstructions which are inconvenient for everyone and particularly problematic for people with wheelchairs, buggies, or those living with sight loss.
By getting rid of redundant and poorly-placed signs, railings and advertising boards, our streets can be made tidier and less confusing. Reducing street clutter and making attractive, interesting and beautiful public spaces is a major part of how we can create vibrant areas for walking.
Get informed
Our action pack is full of ideas of ways to declutter your local streets.
Take action
Our local councils are responsible for the upkeep of our footways. Use our simple online forms to email them and write to your local papers about this.
Electric vehicle chargers
Charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) are currently being installed across the country as part of action to move away from petrol and diesel vehicles. In September 2018, the Prime Minister announced measures to install hundreds more charging stations across the UK.
These should not come at the expense of pedestrians, but we have already seen examples of their thoughtless placement on the pavement resulting in unnecessary obstructions. This easily avoidable pavement clutter is inconvenient for everyone and particularly problematic for people with wheelchairs, buggies, or those living with sight loss.
You can campaign in your area to halt EV charging points contributing to the reduction of public pavements.
Get informed
Download our action pack now to learn more about the issue of EV charging points and how you can take action in your area.
Take action
Your council is responsible for ensuring EV chargers are located properly. Whether they are already popping up where you live, or are still in the pipelines, write to your council using our simple online form.
We work with organisations, public sector bodies and companies to improve streets for walking.