The Government has announced plans to introduce new regulation allowing local authorities outside of London to enforce against pavement parking.
The measure is one of many tabled in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, designed to give local leaders, people who know their areas best, ‘the keys to the driving seat in kick-starting real change for their areas’.
A pavement parking ban has existed in London since 1974, with offenders fined between £140 and £160 depending on where in the city they park. In Scotland, a ban was introduced in 2025, with drivers facing a £100 penalty, reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.
Outside Scotland and London, no such general ban exists. Currently, councils in England must consult on and implement separate Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to ban pavement parking on specific roads.
In 2020, the DfT held a consultation on the matter, the findings of which have ultimately led to the proposed new regulation.
The DfT says the measure will make streets safer and more accessible for wheelchair users, people with visual impairments, and parents with pushchairs, ensuring communities are accessible to everyone.
Heidi Alexander, secretary of state for transport, said: “People shouldn’t have to dodge vehicles parked up on pavements as part of their daily routines. That’s why we’re giving local authorities powers to clamp down on pavement parking, helping to make our town centres and high streets open and accessible for all.”
Also featured within the Bill are measures to address concerns around taxi and private hire vehicle safety. Under plans, enforcement officers will be able to temporarily suspend licences issued by another English authority where a driver or vehicle is operating outside their licensed area and there is a need to suspend a licence with immediate effect to protect the public.
Heidi Alexander added: “It’s vital that authorities can act fast to stop dangerous drivers, taxis and private hire vehicles wherever they operate. These new powers will mean safer journeys for everyone with drivers still subject to the highest criminal background checks.”
Comment on this story