End pavement parking in England

The Transport Select Committee's inquiry into pavement parking in England is now closed for public submissions.

We have campaigned against pavement parking for years.

Vehicles parked on pavements are forcing people with pushchairs or children to walk unsafely in the road. And disabled and older people can feel unsafe walking down their own street.

Watch this space for updates.

Thanks to all 4,010 of you who sent us your thoughts on pavement parking

This is a truly amazing number. We will summarise the responses we received soon.

In the meantime we have some nuggets from our Policy and Research Coordinator, Dr Rachel Lee, which we will include in our submission.

Impact

The impact of pavement parking can range from being inconvenient to down right dangerous and in some cases life changing. It can block pedestrians in wheelchairs forcing them to turn back on their journey. If pedestrians are forced to walk in the road they are at risk from oncoming traffic. Trips and falls, caused by damage to the pavement from heavy parked footways or simply because a less able pedestrian is trying to get passed, can cause injury and rob people of their independence.

Existing rules

There are a number of tools open to councils and the police to deal with people who park on the pavement. Traffic regulation orders (signs and lines on the road) can be used to ban pavement parking on certain streets or in certain areas. Unfortunately, this can shift the problem into neighbouring areas and it's not a quick or cheap solution. The police can issue fines for obstruction, but they have to be present on the street to do so. Often there is no police presence or resource to manage this problem.

What is needed?

Living Streets has been campaigning alongside other organisations for a number of years for a change to the law to ban pavement parking across the country. It's happening in Scotland at last and could be devolved in Wales. We want to there to be legal consistency so that there isn't one rule in London (where parking on the pavement is illegal) and another rule everywhere else. There should be a general presumption that pavement parking is not allowed - unless it's safe (eg on very wide pavements) and absolutely necessary.

In Scotland?

Using its devolved powers, Scotland is already close to achieving a nationwide ban on pavement parking.

If you live in Scotland, find out more about where the campaign is.

Ban pavement parking in Scotland

In Wales?

Currently the Transport Select Committee is focusing on England.

For now, you can ask your local authority to utilise the powers it has by using our Pavements for People packs.

Email your council about pavement parking

More about our Pavements for People packs

What's the problem?

Why is it a problem
Who is responsible for enforcing pavement parking bans?
Is the government going to change the legislation on pavement parking?

Pavement parking is a pain for everyone, but it’s particularly an issue for those with mobility problems, parents with pushchairs and older people, who may fear leaving their homes as they feel unsafe. As well as making it difficult for people to use their streets, it can also cause substantial damage to pavements. This costs councils tens of thousands of pounds each year to repair.
In most areas your local council or civil enforcement officers contracted on their behalf are responsible for enforcing pavement parking bans.
In London, pavement parking is prohibited unless it says it is allowed. The government does not support changing the law to bring the rest of England, and Wales, in line with London

However, Simon Hoare MP has tabled a second Private Members’ Bill to Parliament to extend a ban across England and Wales unless specifically exempted.