Councils across England are set to receive new powers to fine motorists who park on pavements and cause disruption, as part of government plans aimed at improving safety and accessibility on local streets.
The measures, expected to come into force later this year, will allow local authorities to penalise drivers whose vehicles create unnecessary obstruction on pavements.
Guidance will also be issued to ensure the rules are enforced in a fair and proportionate way.
At present, pavement parking is completely banned in London and Scotland. In the rest of England, councils can only introduce restrictions on a street-by-street basis, a process the government says is slow and impractical because it requires consultations and additional signage.
Transport Minister, Lilian Greenwood said pavement parking poses serious challenges for vulnerable road users, including blind people, wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs.
She stressed that keeping pavements clear is essential to help people move around safely and independently.
Currently, only the police can issue fines for obstruction or dangerous parking, while council enforcement officers are limited to cases where drivers break existing on-road rules such as double yellow lines. The new powers would remove that restriction and allow councils to act more directly.
Under the proposals, councils will not need to install extra signs before issuing fines. However, decisions on what counts as “unnecessary obstruction” will be left to local enforcement officers, allowing flexibility for situations where limited pavement parking may be needed, such as to let emergency vehicles pass.
Campaign group Living Streets welcomed the move as progress after years of delay but said it was disappointed the government stopped short of introducing a nationwide ban, warning that local enforcement could lead to inconsistency across communities.
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