Pavement parking ban could be introduced in England following government debate
Parking on the pavement could be fully banned in England under new laws set to be announced imminently...
New laws banning cars from parking on pavements could soon be rolled out across the UK, following government debate on the subject over the last few weeks. The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed on 3 September that an announcement is due “very soon”.
The new rules are expected to grant English councils the power to prohibit pavement parking unless explicitly stated otherwise in certain areas. The same laws are already in place in Scotland, where drivers face a £100 fine for pavement parking – reduced to £50 if paid within two weeks.
The law in Scotland applies to parking on pavements, at dropped kerbs and double parking – which is where a car is parked more than 50cm away from the kerb.
Pavement parking has also been illegal in London since 1974, with Highway Code rule 244 stating that drivers “must not park partially or wholly on the pavement in London and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it.”
Raising the issue for parliamentary debate on 3 September, Liberal Democrats MP Helen Maguire said, “Every day people are forced into the road, into moving traffic, because the pavement is blocked by a vehicle.
“Parents with prams, wheelchair users and people with sight loss must choose between risking the road or turning back. These are not minor inconveniences but moments of danger, frustration and exclusion.”
Ms Maguire called for clearer rules around pavement parking in England, describing the situation outside of London as a “patchwork of inconsistent rules, limited enforcement and pavements increasingly blocked by vehicles.”
In response to the issue, Vice Chamberlain of the Household Lilian Greenwood (formerly Minister for Future of Roads) stated that the Government has been considering how to tackle pavement parking, and a change in the law is imminent.
She said, “We have carefully considered the potential impacts of pavement parking to ensure that our approach aligns with the Government’s wider missions, which are focused on growth, health, safer streets and breaking down barriers to opportunity.
“Tackling pavement parking can contribute to safer streets by reducing risks for pedestrians who would be forced into the road. It can enable more people to walk—the perfect antidote to inactivity. By ensuring that disabled people and families can move freely and safely, it can break down barriers to opportunity, which, alongside high levels of active travel, can potentially drive growth benefits.
“Our work is helping us shape a policy that is not only effective but equitable. As a result of all that work, I expect to make an announcement very soon.”
This follows the previous Conservative government’s 2020 consultation into the issue, called “Pavement parking: options for change”. It proposed three solutions: improving the existing regulations; giving local authorities civil enforcement powers against unnecessary obstruction of the pavement; and introducing a national ban.
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