WHAT WE SAY

Pavements are for people to walk on - so of course parking on pavements is a major concern for our supporters and the general public.

Vehicles parked on the footway can cause an obstruction and inhibit the independence of many vulnerable people, especially older or disabled people with visual or mobility impairments.  

And when pedestrians, for example families with pushchairs, are forced into the road and into oncoming traffic, pavement parking is simply dangerous.

It is also worth adding that pavement surfaces are not designed to carry the weight of vehicles, and the added maintenance cost of repairing cracked and damaged paving adds an unnecessary financial burden to already cash-strapped councils.

Add to this the economic cost to the NHS of inactivity, and it is beyond argument that pavement parking is, literally and figuratively, an obstacle we must overcome.

How can a traffic regulation order (TRO) help stop pavement parking?

Local authorities can restrict pavement parking on individual streets (or by area) by making a traffic regulation order (TRO). The drawback is that this can shift the problem elsewhere. Making a TRO is also a time consuming and expensive process - it takes up to two years and requires extensive public consultation. However, once parking on pavements is banned on a particular street, civil enforcement officers are able to enforce it by issuing a parking control notice – code 62.

Why do we need new laws?

Where do bans exist already?

Pavement parking is banned throughout the 32 London boroughs, and the City of London under the Greater London (General Purposes) Act 1974. The Highway Code states; 'You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London'. All councils in London can and should enforce this law by issuing parking tickets to any vehicles parked on pavements, unless there is a sign there that specifically permits it.

And in 2019, Scotland made history by introducing a nationwide ban on pavement parking which came into force on 11 December 2023. This milestone reflects years of Living Streets Scotland’s campaigning alongside partners and our supporters. Since December 2023, local authorities have had the power to enforce the pavement parking ban, with drivers facing fines up to £100 for parking on the pavement. The rules are applied universally across Scotland, although councils can grant exemptions in specific locations under certain circumstances.  

As of 13 November 2025, 21 out of 32 local authorities in Scotland were actively enforcing pavement, dropped kerb & double-parking restrictions. Of that 21 all but one have Decriminalised Parking Enforcement powers.

The ban’s effectiveness has been inconsistent. Walking Scotland’s Scottish Walking and Wheeling Survey found an increase in the number of people experiencing cars parked on the pavement in 2025 compared with 2023 (54% compared to 43%).  However, areas like Edinburgh have seen a positive impact, with a reduction in the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued for pavement parking from 5,098 in 2024 to 4,369 in 2025.

Living Streets submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests to local authorities in Scotland in May 2026 to increase understanding of the effect of the ban. We’ll share our findings in due course.)

What's the situation in England (excluding London)?

In January 2026, the UK Government announced a new, devolved approach to pavement parking. Rather than introducing a ‘one size fits all’ national prohibition, a two-stage process was announced to enable strategic transport authorities to address the issue. Primary legislation would be introduced to create a new offence of pavement parking, delivered at the next legislative opportunity; with secondary legislation, focussed on enabling enforcement of unnecessary obstruction on the pavement, passed in the meantime.
Sooner than we may have expected, primary legislation to enable local leaders to prohibit pavement parking has been included in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. The amendment included in the Bill, which achieved Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, will enable The Secretary of State to make regulations giving each English local transport authority the power to impose a prohibition on the parking of motor vehicles on the footways and verges. Put simply, if councils choose to act, they will soon have the legal tools they need to ban pavement parking in their area. 
We are supporting the UK Government to design their guidance for local authorities on the enforcement of pavement parking, of which we should then see the UK Government enable local authorities to enforce against unnecessary obstruction of the pavement via secondary legislation. This would essentially allow uniformed civil enforcement officers to enforce against cars that are parked on the pavement. We hope to see these powers granted by the end of 2026.)

What about Wales?

The previous Welsh Government proposed changes that will allow local authorities to enforce against pavement parking where it is causing an unnecessary obstruction to people on the pavement.

This proposal wasn’t the outright ban we were calling for, but it was a positive step forward because it promised to make it easier for councils to act against the worst offenders. We were part of the Pavement Parking Taskforce, set up by the previous Welsh Government, who were advising on the issue.

However, action on pavement parking was gridlocked under the previous Welsh Government, with energies diverted to oversee the rollout of Wales’ 20mph  speed limit on residential roads. We will engage the new Welsh Government on this issue imminently to pick up where the previous Welsh Government failed to deliver. Following the passing into law of powers in England, we will be pushing for Wales to adopt a similar process.