Drivers across England will face fines for blocking pavements – as councils are handed up beefed-up powers to crack down on the “scourge” of motorists parking their cars on footways.
Ministers are putting forward plans to outlaw pavement parking in all areas outside the capital, which officials claim will make streets safer for pedestrians, wheelchair users and parents with prams.
Pavement parking is currently banned in London and Scotland but councils in the rest of England are only able to place restrictions on certain streets.
Under the new powers, local transport authorities will be able to crack down on the worst examples of pavement parking, which can force pedestrians to walk in the street and put those with mobility difficulties and visual impairments at risk.
Current laws only give police the power to fine drivers who leave their vehicles in a dangerous position or cause an obstruction. Fines for pavement parking in London are usually around £100. It will be up to individual councils to decide how much they want to charge.
“Pavement parking has been a daily hazard for too many people – pushing wheelchair users into the road, blocking parents with prams, and making journeys needlessly difficult for those with visual impairments,” Communities Secretary Steve Reed told The i Paper.
“This is an issue communities are facing across the country, not just in London, so we’re empowering local leaders everywhere to make their streets safer and tackle the scourge of pavement parking.”
The measures will be tabled on Wednesday as an amendment to the Government’s English Devolution and Community Bill, which is making its way through Parliament.
The changes would mean local transport authorities will be able to protect pavements, issuing fines to drivers who park on pavements rather than just to those who break on-road rules, such as parking on double yellow lines.
Cracking down on pavement parking is part of a wider package of measures contained in amendments to the devolution bill, which the Government is putting forward to boost high streets.
If voted through, officials say the policies will allow communities to block the opening of shops, such as gambling premises and will give community groups longer to buy up local assets to save pubs, parks and libraries, raising the period from five years to 10 years.
Local mayors will also be handed new powers to champion arts and heritage in their areas, on top of the Government’s £5.8bn Pride in Place programme, which has replaced the Levelling Up scheme.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced last month that the Government will publish a new High Streets Strategy later in the year, as the issue of declining town centres is likely to be a major political battleground in the run-up to the general election.
