Car parking on pavements should be banned in areas

The Local Government Association (LGA) has recently urged the Government to allow authorities to ban vehicles parking either partially or fully on the pavement on specific roads across England. 

Currently, only London councils have these powers. 

The LGA says older and disabled people, including those who use wheelchairs, as well as parents with pushchairs and younger children, risk their lives by walking into the road when they come across kerb-mounted vehicles. 

In London, councils have powers to exempt certain roads from pavement parking. The Government held a consultation on extending this ban to all councils in the rest of England which ended over three years ago, but an announcement has yet to be made. 

Areas in Bolton such as Deane and Farnworth have been highlighted as having issues with cars parking on  pavement, either fully on or half on,  but it can be seen in many streets around the borough. 

Pavement parking on Bradford Road, Farnworth

Cllr Hamid Khurram said: "Yes, it can be useful, we get a lot of complaints of people parking on pavements. 

"When somebody parks on the pavement it blocks it and will be difficult for disabled people and people with pushchairs to use. 

"Unless there are double yellows and they are parked on the pavement, there is nothing we can do. 

Read more: Moves to fine motorists who park on pavement welcomed in Bolton 

Read more: Major car parking rule change set to be considered in England for near future 

Read more: Police crackdown on illegal parking on Deane Road

"If we got powers, especially in the areas where it happens, it would be good to do something about this." 

Cllr Khurram highlighted his own ward, Farnworth North, as being one which suffers with the issue. 

He said: "To be honest, when people know nobody enforces this, they will park on the pavements. 

Pavement parking on Manchester Road in Blackrod (Image: Newsquest)

"But when they know it is enforceable, they will make a habit not to park on the pavement, because they know it will be enforced against them."

As well as forcing pedestrians into the road, parking on the pavement can crack and damage the surface, creating trip and injury hazards as well as leading to costly repairs and maintenance. 

One resident, who wished not to be named, said: "As a resident in Deane there is a lot of pavement parking. It affects me as I push a pram, so if the gap between the car and the fence is too small I have to walk on the road and that is very dangerous especially with a pram.

"I feel like a lot of mums and dads who walk everywhere pushing prams would feel the same way as I do, which is angry and worried in case we get hit by a car having to walk in the road. 

"It should be illegal to park on pavements unless it’s a driveway."