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Campaign to free Britain’s pavements of clutter

Living Streets wants to make it easier for people walking and wheeling

Mark Moran
12 July 2021
Rubbish blocking a pavement
A discarded e-scooter
A discarded e-scooter
A badly placed A-board
A badly placed A-board

 

Poorly placed bins, A-boards, excessive signage and badly parked vehicles can clutter pavements and make it hazardous for people to get around. And a recent increase in e-bikes, e-scooters, and on-street dining has seen more space taken away from pedestrians.

Now a campaign to rid Britain’s pavements of clutter has been launched by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking.

Cluttered pavements can prevent people with wheelchairs, buggies or Guide Dogs getting around easily and safely, the charity says. The Department for Transport's advice is that wheelchair user and a passer-by need 1.5m to pass safely, whilst a visually impaired person who is being guided needs at least 1.2m.

Living Streets said its research finds that it can also impact on everyone’s desire to walk more, with a YouGov poll finding that over a third of people (34%) would visit their local High Street more if pavements were less cluttered.  

The charity’s #CutTheClutter Week of Action (12-18 July 2021) will ask people to show where the clutter is in their local area on an interactive map. The charity is also helping people write to their local councils to tackle the issue.

Stephen Edwards, interim chief executive of Living Streets, said: “Our pavements should be wide enough for everyone to pass each other easily. When footways are blocked, it forces people into the carriageway and into traffic. Our research shows that people are more likely to get out and support their local economy when their streets are clutter-free.

“Town and cities nationwide have been using government investment to trial schemes to create more space for people walking, including widening pavements and closing certain streets to traffic. We should not undo all this great work and investment by crowding pavements with excessive signage and poorly placed street furniture.”

Living Streets’ Cut the Clutter campaign is being supported by British Cycling, Cycling UK, Guide Dogs, RNIB and Transport for All.

Katie Pennick from Transport For All recently highlighted the issues wheelchair users face from on-street dining in a Twitter video that’s been viewed over 1.9 million times.

Pennick said: “For wheelchair users, visually impaired people, and many other disabled pedestrians – street clutter can turn pavements into treacherous, disorienting, and difficult routes. A poorly placed A-board can put an end to a particular journey. Having to navigate constant obstacles puts many people off from walking and wheeling, excluding them from the benefits of active travel.

“It’s vital that we remove the barriers on our pavements to enable more people to enjoy moving around their local communities with freedom, ease, and independence.”

British Cycling and Cycling UK issued a joint statement supporting campaign: “Cycling UK and British Cycling support clutter-free pavements and cycle lanes. Whether you’re walking or cycling, poorly placed signage or street furniture isn’t just an inconvenience but can often be a dangerous hazard. Our organisations also urge councils to meet the demand for well-located cycle parking. If bikes are parked on narrow pavements, for lack of good alternatives, this causes obvious problems particularly for disabled people, just as it does when people cycle on pavements for lack of good cycle facilities.”

To take part in the Week of Action, visit livingstreets.org.uk/Clutter

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Warrington Borough Council
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Specialist Transport Services Manager
Warrington Borough Council
Warrington
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