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Pavement parking ban

40 replies

Shoecamp · 23/09/2025 09:46

Sorry if there are other threads on this, I did search but couldn’t find any.
I keep seeing on the news that there is talk of a pavement parking ban. I totally get that it is an issue for people in wheelchairs and with prams etc. every time I see it on tv and people are discussing it, there is never any mention of what would happen on streets which aren’t wide enough for cars to be parked on both sides, but not on the pavement. Where would they all go? I’m not against the ban in principle but I’d be interested to know what the answer is for where cars would go? I know the ban is in in London, how does it work there? All the streets near me are full of cars partially on the pavement and definitely not wide enough for all the cars to go on the road.

OP posts:
Bitzee · 23/09/2025 10:51

buffyajp · 23/09/2025 10:42

Sorry but that is unacceptable. Wheelchair users and pushchairs should ALWAYS have priority on pavements over parking. Bloody outrageous that on a parenting site people think it acceptable that they should have to go on a road because apparently parking takes priority over safety.

The roads near me (London) that permit pavement parking have wide enough pavements that even with the cars parked you can still push the pram no problem and I imagine a wheelchair user would also be ok. It makes sense given they are that wide because with the pavement parking 2 vehicles can pass and then traffic can flow better, including the local buses and school buses. I think the London system works well tbh- general rule is not allowed so pavements aren’t randomly getting blocked and where it is someone at the council has presumably looked at the street and made an assessment.

scalt · 23/09/2025 10:56

As for the problem of where cars will go: much as I dislike any "anti-car" measures, such as "price motorists off the road and force them on to public transport", I would be in favour of more car-pooling schemes: cars that you can easily rent when you need them, (emphasis on "easily"), so you don't have to own one. There are lots of these in big cities like London, but almost none outside. Sometimes the worst place to be is in small towns just outside a big city like London: the "magnificent London public transport" is not in walking distance, so you need a car or infrequent bus to reach the Underground stations (and TfL keep selling off the station car parks), yet there are none (that I know of) of these car-pooling schemes in towns outside London.

When you own a car, it's expensive not to use it. It's a sunk cost fallacy. Public transport is then an expensive, slow and unpleasant "luxury". Also, as we are being nudged towards using electric cars, they are still very expensive to buy and repair; so people (like me) hang onto their petrol cars. Once somebody has invested in electric, and paid a few thousand pounds to be able to charge it at home, they are not going to want to use expensive public transport. This is what the powers that be keep overlooking. What we need is for each town to have easily accessible communal electric cars, like the bikes in London, that people can use when they need.

Suppose a family of four wants to travel to visit grandparents. The choice is often as follows: car journey, about £10. Train journey, £60+, probably slower, less reliable, and they still have to pay their ongoing car costs. Tough decision, innit?

angelspike2025 · 23/09/2025 11:09

Overthebow · 23/09/2025 10:40

I don't know the answer to where the cars will go, but the answer definitely isn't parking on the pavement blocking the path for wheelchairs and other pedestrians with prams etc. If there's no where to park safely outside your house that doesn't block pedestrians you go and find somewhere else. The ban is needed because so many cars are blocking the paths.

Not all are like that though. Theres roads near me where you can fit an entire car on the pavement and still fit a wheelchair down the side, people pavement park there (Just wheels up mostly)
it doesn’t cause any issues as it’s so wide

Overthebow · 23/09/2025 11:13

angelspike2025 · 23/09/2025 11:09

Not all are like that though. Theres roads near me where you can fit an entire car on the pavement and still fit a wheelchair down the side, people pavement park there (Just wheels up mostly)
it doesn’t cause any issues as it’s so wide

Yes but my point is that this is another example of those who act like idiots ruining it for everyone else. The ban is needed because of those idiots, so unfortunately everyone gets hit by it. Maybe when there are resources available councils could do an assessment of each road to determine if there's room to pavement park or not but that's not going to happen in the short term.

angelspike2025 · 23/09/2025 11:15

Overthebow · 23/09/2025 11:13

Yes but my point is that this is another example of those who act like idiots ruining it for everyone else. The ban is needed because of those idiots, so unfortunately everyone gets hit by it. Maybe when there are resources available councils could do an assessment of each road to determine if there's room to pavement park or not but that's not going to happen in the short term.

Yep definitely
bad angles as it’s all I can find on Google street view but this is the width
it’s the small terraces that are an issue but I don’t know what the answer is there as there is no alternative parking as every street is the same

Pavement parking ban
Bitzee · 23/09/2025 11:21

angelspike2025 · 23/09/2025 11:15

Yep definitely
bad angles as it’s all I can find on Google street view but this is the width
it’s the small terraces that are an issue but I don’t know what the answer is there as there is no alternative parking as every street is the same

2 wheels on the pavement and 2 on the road is probably the solution. There’s a terraced street near me like that and it seems to work fine- prams can make it down the pavement and buses get fit through on the road.

Dbank · 23/09/2025 12:24

The "solution" is less car ownership, and greater use of alternatives.

The general trend from councils is anti-car, so I think it's very likely that the ban on pavement parking will be expanded.

With the desire for home charging, and the rising cost of residents parking, having "OSP" is of huge value.

Parking on the pavement should never have been allowed.

SamphiretheTervosaur · 23/09/2025 12:39

We have half and half parking here

One side of the road parks normally. The other parks half on the pavement. There are ramped access points to, middle and bottom that very few people ever block - mostly as they all use them. It's a bit tight for people to get to their doors on the half and half side but the logic of using the wider pavement and crossing close to home seems to work for the majority of the time.

Walkden · 23/09/2025 12:45

"In London, people just drive less."

Which is possible due to far superior public transport, compared to pretty much every city in the UK and small towns etc.

Imlyingandthatsthetruth · 23/09/2025 15:20

It's bad enough that peple have no option but to park on the pavement where the streets are narrow. I dislike any pavement parking - pavements are for people - but I understand the problem in that case.

What pisses me off is the way that it is the norm to for many (most) people to swing their car onto the pavement even where there is plenty of room to park properly. I just see it every day down our close. I wonder if the reason is that many of these people just don't have the skill to park a couple of inches from the kerb. Far easier and quicker to park a foot on.

Ultimately, it is, and will never be, policed, whether it is made illegal or not.

Hoppinggreen · 23/09/2025 15:29

There are many streets around here where if at least 1 side of cars isn't a bit on the pavement there is only a small gap, not enough for a large car let alone an ambulance or similar. If 50% of those cars couldn't park I have no idea where they would go. There is alternative parking nearby
I am not saying its right or that I have no sympathy for people who can't get past but banning pavement parking will cause HUGE issues in some areas

Everyonelikecapybaras · 23/09/2025 15:30

We lived on a street where pavements together were actually wider than the road so everyone parked on pavement. One side full on, one side only quarter/half on. There was still space for larger wheelchair on our side where we were parking fully on.
I fully agree with the ban on streets with very narrow pavements where no one can pass if car parks there. It's not safe having to go into traffic

ThreePears · 23/09/2025 15:32

And there was me thinking you're not supposed to park on the pavement anyway.

Nocookiesforme · 23/09/2025 15:33

They will have to change the way a lot of roads are used. The best way to manage it is more one way systems, double yellow lines, using verges, limited permit parking etc.
A big problem is that with new builds (particularly blocks of flats) not enough parking spaces are created which forces vehicles on to roads. Also a lot of employers make workers take their vans home to save on overnight storage costs. New estates have small driveways for barely 2 cars and narrow estate roads. Councils seem to be very opposed to land being used solely for parking and garage blocks are being knocked down to build flats. When you add in cycle paths and cuts to bus services then it's a recipe for stress and anger.
When garages are built with new builds then a lack of storage inside houses means that people are using the garages for storage or conversion to extra living space.
Many estates or towns with narrow roads but dense housing (ie huge rows of terraced housing) were build before the 1970's when public transport was plentiful/cheap and car ownership was tiny. If councils knock down terraces and rebuild then you're just as likely to have the same number of houses, if not more, and the same narrow roads. Many estates (mostly council) built in 50's/60's/70's have big green areas which are now not fully utilised or attract nuisance so perhaps it's time to convert some to parking with permits?

Fionasapples · 23/09/2025 15:36

Where we live everyone has space on the drive for at least 2 cars. We could park 3 quite easily. Not that we live in a mansion or anything, just a 60s house with a big space between us and the neighbours. We park both of ours on the drive, always. Lots of other houses don't, they park one on the road, which I don't understand if they have a drive available. The roads aren't wide so people park partly on the pavement. It would be a good idea round here to have a pavement parking ban as there's no need for it. I wouldn't be in favour if it was a road where nobody had a drive, or only a small one.

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