Pavement parking: How to stop to this scourge on our streets

The UK government's aim is a simpler, more streamlined and decentralised system that works better for leaders, for people and places, says transport minister Lilian Greenwood

Transport minister Lilian Greenwood spoke at a conference in London about the UK government's plans for regulating parking on pavements across England.

Now, one problem that continues to blight communities in cities, towns and villages across the country is pavement parking.

Pavement parking undermines safety. It restricts mobility, and it leads to inequality because it disproportionately affects people who rely on clear pavements to navigate through their local area, so people with sight loss, wheelchair mobility, scooter users, older people and those with reduced mobility, and parents with young children, whether they're walking along trying to hold a child's hand or push a pram. 

Recently, I had the good fortune to visit guide dogs in training. I did get some cuddles from the puppies. And, of course, it made my day. But those dogs are more than just a bundle of joy for people with sight loss, they are the means of living the life they choose, bringing freedom, mobility and independence, until they meet a parked car on the pavement.

I spoke with the Guide Dogs Association about pavement parking at a round table earlier this year, along with other people whose lives are blighted by this inconsiderate behaviour.

I heard many stories about its impact on their ability to live and travel independently, because pavement parking isn't just an inconvenience, it can cause fear, exclusion and loss of confidence in going out and about in public. 

The government wants to lift the barriers that stop people getting around. 

We are doing two things to help put a stop to this scourge on our streets: new powers for local leaders to prohibit pavement parking and new guidance to help them act.  

New powers for local leaders

We're devolving powers to local leaders, enabling them to tackle parking on pavements and verges right across their areas. This government believes that local leaders know their own communities best and should be in the driving seat when it comes to deciding about changes for their people and their places. 

Under new laws, local leaders with local knowledge will be able to decide where the ban on pavement parking needs to be applied and where, for example on very narrow streets, it would hamper access for ambulances or bin lorries, allowing them to apply sensible exemptions grounded in an understanding of their area. 

These rules will sit alongside, rather than replace, the current Traffic Regulation Order giving councils power to tackle nuisance obstructions in more areas now. 

Our move towards greater powers for local authorities also includes a new rule, which is coming this autumn, to enable councils to take immediate action against unnecessary obstruction of pavements. 

Civil enforcement officers will be empowered to give on-the-spot fines where and when they see obstructive pavement parking in progress, and that includes vehicles that may not have wheels on the pavement but are still blocking access for the people, for example across a dropped kerb.

This practical first step towards wider powers for all councils also gives London a new tool to tackle obstructive parking as and when it happens. It also places the decision to act with the council alongside the police now I realize that there are likely to be questions about how those new rules will be put into practice.  

New guidance

We will help councils to pick up the reigns. Our aim is a simpler, more streamlined and decentralised system that works better for leaders, for people and places. 

My department will publish new statutory guidance to help councils determine whether offences have been committed and whether action can be taken, so that local leaders can really firmly grasp the issue. 

This first step towards devolution of pavement parking powers is a really important one. We hope that parking and traffic management professionals will work closely with local authorities as these new powers come into effect because – while government can regulate and legislate to pave the way – streets in Wigan or Wolverhampton cannot be patrolled from Whitehall, stamping out nuisance parking and keeping our pavements clear and accessible for everyone has got to be a joint effort. 

I really welcome our ongoing collaboration and value the parking sector’s expertise in helping to identify challenges and practical solutions, because pavements are for people, and together, we can make sure it stays that way. 

Lilian Greenwood is a transport minister in the Department for Transport

This is a transcript of a speech delivered at BPA Live, a British Parking Association event held in London on 17 March