Скачать или смотреть Pavement Parking Ban UK: Enhancing Pedestrian Safety & Accessibility for All

Pavement parking in England is a critical issue, where vehicles obstruct footways, endangering vulnerable pedestrians like disabled people, parents, and those with sight loss. While London and Scotland have clear bans, England faces inconsistent rules. There's a strong call for a default national prohibition with local exceptions to clarify laws and ensure safer streets. The government's significant delay in responding to a 2020 consultation is also discussed, underscoring the urgency of this social justice issue.


Key Takeaways:

• Pavement parking endangers vulnerable pedestrians, forcing them into roads and creating exclusion.
• Laws are inconsistent across England (outside London), unlike clearer bans in London and Scotland.
• A national ban with local exceptions is proposed for clarity and safety.
• Government has delayed its response to a 2020 consultation for nearly five years.
• Parking on pavements damages infrastructure and discourages walking.
• Solving this boosts active travel and social inclusion.

Important Definitions and Concepts:

• Pavement Parking: Vehicles parking on footways, obstructing pedestrians and causing damage.
• Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs): Local authority powers for parking bans, often slow and costly.
• National Prohibition with Local Exceptions: Proposed system for England: default ban, with councils allowing exceptions where safe.

Discussion and Reflection Question: How can policymakers balance drivers' parking needs with pedestrians' fundamental right to safe, accessible pavements, particularly in areas not designed for modern car ownership?


Source: Pavement Parking (https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons...)
Volume 772: debated on Wednesday 3 September 2025


Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463008/su...)


Follow and subscribe to 'The Bench Report' on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes daily: thebenchreport.co.uk (https://www.thebenchreport.co.uk/)


Subscribe to our Substack (https://thebenchreport.substack.com/)


Shape our next episode! Get in touch with an issue important to you - Producer Tom will grab another coffee and start the research!


Email us: [email protected]


Follow us on YouTube (   / @benchreportuk  ) , X (https://x.com/benchreportuk?t=7vbYFpd...) , Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/benchreportu...) , Facebook (  / 1ydfrelwni  ) , Instagram (  / benchreportuk  ) and TikTok! (  / benchreportuk  ) @benchreportUK


Support us (https://www.thebenchreport.co.uk/2463...) for bonus and extended episodes + more.


No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard (https://hansard.parliament.uk/) and the Parliament UK (https://www.parliament.uk/) website.


Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0... (https://www.parliament.uk/site-inform...)