New parking crackdown could see more restrictions for thousands of motorists

MPs have discussed whether to expand parking restrictions in a particular area. Politicans debated in Westminster Hall the question of pavement parking, with one member saying the current law is "fragmented and confusing". Apart from in London and in Scotland, parking on the pavement is not illegal although you can get a fine in some cases.

Liberal Democrat MP Helen Maguire introduced the debate, warning that every day pedestrians are forced into the road because of cars parked on pavements. She warned that this includes parents with prams, wheelchair users and people with sight loss issues.

She shared stories from her own constituency of Epsom and Ewell, where delivery motorcycles ride on the pavement and block footpaths on Epsom High Street. Yet she warned the rules restricting this behaviour is ambiguous, as there is a "patchwork of inconsistent rules, limited enforcement and pavements increasingly blocked by vehicles".

Ms Maguire warned: "The current legal framework is fragmented and confusing. Driving on to the pavement is in fact already illegal under section 72 of the Highways Act 1835, but enforcement is inconsistent and largely reliant on police resources.

"In some cases, parking on a pavement can be treated as obstruction, but that too is a criminal offence enforced by the police, not a civil contravention enforced by local authorities. Local councils struggle to tackle pavement parking, although they can use their existing powers to make traffic regulation orders.

"Those are largely restricted to specific streets, and due to the requirements for advertising consultation and signage they are a costly and impractical way to tackle this problem."

She said that councils should be given powers to decide for themselves where cars can park on the pavement. DUP MP Jim Shannon said he receives complaints about bad parking in his area every week.

He spoke about some of the local enforcement in place in his constituency of Strangford, in Northern Ireland: "To give a quick local perspective, people are often permitted to park on the pavement unless specific restrictions apply or unless doing so causes an obstruction—that is how it is done back home.

"If people do the wrong thing, they get an £80 ticket; if they pay it within three days, it is £45." There is also a 'Think before you park' campaign in Northern Ireland to make people aware of the risks of pavement parking.

Transport minister Lilian Greenwood provided a response to the debate from the Government. She said the Government is looking into the issue after the previous Conservative Government held a consultation on the matter in 2020.

She said: "In the five years since the previous Government held the consultation, a lot has changed in the political landscape of the UK. Much more of England is covered by mayoral combined authorities and, because this Government believe in true devolution, we are moving to strategic authorities across England.

"Those changes have to be factored into our thinking on pavement parking. More broadly, 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."