Pavement parking
The meeting focused on the impact of pavement parking and street obstructions on disabled people, pedestrians, and active travel, with campaigners, charities, and policymakers calling for urgent national action.
Key themes included:
- Safety and accessibility concerns: Speakers described pavement parking as dangerous and exclusionary, especially for blind people, wheelchair users, parents with prams, and older people. Obstructions force people into roads, increase journey times, and discourage independent travel.
- Lived experiences:
- Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson highlighted how pavement parking, poor pavement conditions, and clutter create unsafe and stressful journeys for disabled people.
- Dr Amit Patel described the daily challenges faced as a blind person navigating blocked pavements, including being forced into roads and losing confidence in local journeys.
- Emma Vogelmann shared her own experience as an electric wheelchair user whose local route is often blocked by parked cars.
- Need for national legislation: Speakers repeatedly criticised delays following the government’s 2020 consultation on pavement parking. There was broad support for a nationwide ban or stronger enforcement powers for councils, similar to approaches used in London and Scotland.
- Policy and enforcement discussion: Participants discussed options including:
- Giving local authorities civil enforcement powers.
- Creating clearer national guidance and exemptions.
- Ring-fencing fines to fund enforcement and road safety.
- Improving pavement maintenance and accessibility standards.
- Behaviour and public awareness: Several speakers stressed that many drivers do not understand the impact of pavement parking. Education and culture change were seen as important alongside enforcement.
- Broader transport implications: Campaigners argued pavement parking undermines government goals on walking, wheeling, public transport, and active travel because people cannot safely complete everyday journeys.
The discussion ended with agreement that stronger political leadership, clearer laws, and better enforcement are needed to make pavements safe and accessible for everyone.