Pavement parking issue

[pcolbeck]

I grew up in a rural village where we had pavements and nobody parked on them. There's a free car park in the middle of the village.

Poking around Street View it has many many double yellow lines, which presumably means many decades ago someone at Somerset County Council was on the ball enough to install them before people filled every inch of space with cars as they apparently have everywhere else. I wonder if there was uproar at the time.

I'm sorry you live somewhere shit, but please don't think that shitness is inevitable.

It's not shit its lovely with a great sense of community. It is however very small. There are no white lines or any road markings at all and only street lighting in one small area of the village .

[ian]

So, what happens if someone in that community is blind, or in a wheelchair, or simply needs to push a pram from a to b?

[Kim]

So, what happens if someone in that community is blind, or in a wheelchair, or simply needs to push a pram from a to b?

They should use a car, obviously.

[DuncanM]

Alternatively councils can encourage shit parking:
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.740543,-1.233754,3a,75y,101.69h,66.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1syPWHltd7KYHO_yeD6fsLhA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

It sounds like the OP is referring to the case where someone is parked on their driveway in such a way that the back half of their car is blocking the pavement. I'm guessing is they are told not to do that then they will park half on the road and half on the pavement in a way that irritates everyone here (unless there are double yellows).

[pcolbeck]

So, what happens if someone in that community is blind, or in a wheelchair, or simply needs to push a pram from a to b?

They have to walk in the road EVEN IF THERE WAS NO PAVEMENT PARKING AT ALL that's the point.

[ian]

I don't understand you then. You're parking on non-existent pavements?

[pcolbeck]

I don't understand you then. You're parking on non-existent pavements?

I'll try again. There isn't continuous pavement in the village. For example my lane is about 200 yards long with only one 20 yard section that has pavement. Leaving my house there is no pavement I have to walk in the road. What difference does it make if someone pavement parks on that one 20 yard section?

[pcolbeck]

Also things like this where there is pavement:



That's been there since seventeen hundred and odd. Forces you into the road.

[grams]

The thing is if you make it anything other than a national blanket ban you leave it up to tinpot local councillors to decide and none of them have the cojones for that fight.

If it means rules get imposed on the tiny minority who live in shi rural idylls where there’s nothing worth walking to anyway, then so be it.

[rogerzilla]

Houses without off-street, or at least designated, parking should cost a lot less.  Paying £150 in "road tax" shouldn't entitle you to occupy 15 square metres of public tarmac outside your house, nearly all of the time.

[pcolbeck]

The thing is if you make it anything other than a national blanket ban you leave it up to tinpot local councillors to decide and none of them have the cojones for that fight.

That is a fair point.

[ian]

Also things like this where there is pavement:



That's been there since seventeen hundred and odd. Forces you into the road.

I think in the 17th century, you were less likely to counter a 3.5-tonne vehicle moving at a significant speed down that road and it's unlikely anyone would have been trundling along the pavement in a wheelchair. There are easy adjustments to the pavement there and really, it's 2021, we should be making adjustments rather than just saying oh but it's old.

The problem with relying on discretion is that every driver has their justification why they should be allowed to park. Come on, we've all heard them: they've nowhere else to park, it's the council's fault, they're only there for a short while, people can squeeze by, there are no disabled people in the area, the locals don't mind, etc. etc.

[nobby]

I believe that parking on the pavement is an obstruction and is dealt with by the council.
It was to have become a police responsibility some years ago but, as far as I know, that has not happened.
My council has an app and parking/parked vehicle causing an obstruction is a heading in the app. I've used it a few times over the years for cars parked as you describe and the council always report back that they have dealt with the car owner.
Contacting your local councillor may be useful.

[ian]

Obstruction is a police issue, I copied and pasted from Surrey's finest above.

[Davef]

Obstruction is a police issue, I copied and pasted from Surrey's finest above.

Obstruction by vehicles is a police matter.

Other obstruction of the highway, for example by very old steps, is dealt with by the highway authority.

[ian]

Yeahbut the question was about a car obstructing the pavement, which is a police matter (parking on the pavement is a council issue, blocking the pavement is police).

[rogerzilla]

What's the definition of "blocked"?  Is there one?

[Regulator]

Can anyone suggest a good way forward. A rented property in our road has one of the cars parked so the back completely blocks the footpath and when I say completely its overhanging into the road

I realise I could knock and ask them not to but judging by the state of their drive I'm not imagining they're going to be receptive.

From my Google search pavement parking isn't illegal but does that change when the path is completely blocked and who do I contact?

With a bit of luck, not for much longer.   Pavement parking is illegal in London (except where expressly permitted) and the government have said they're considering extending that to the whole of England and Wales, using their current emergency powers.  The usual suspects are up in arms about the proposals...

[Regulator]

If it obstructs the entire pavement, call the police, it's a problem for them.

I'd ban all and any parking on pavements (and anywhere that isn't a road and driveway) tomorrow. There's no excuse and it's simply unacceptable.

Unfortunately, it isn't (other than in London).  Police can only do something if they actually see the car being driven onto the pavement (in which case there is a relevant offence under the Road Traffic Act which can be used).

[rafletcher]

I'm not sure that's correct - this from our county council website..

"It may be a criminal offence for causing an obstruction or damage and would be a matter for the police.

Section 28 Town Police Clauses Act 1847 - wilfully causing an obstruction to any public footpath or public thoroughfare."

So I'd read that as parking to obstruct the footway is a Police matter.

[grams]

Yes, blocking the pavement is already an offence. Whether you can persuade a local constable to do anything about it is another matter.

With a bit of luck, not for much longer.   Pavement parking is illegal in London (except where expressly permitted) and the government have said they're considering extending that to the whole of England and Wales, using their current emergency powers.  The usual suspects are up in arms about the proposals...

It's a devolved matter in Wales and they're working on it. I'm not aware of any relevant emergency powers in England. There was a consultation in 2020 on a possible full ban though.

[The Family Cyclist]

I think we have probably worked out the guidance is almost as clear as some of the covid stuff

I've contacted local councillors who with local elections looming will either ignore as too busy or jump on to try and impress me

Thank for everyone's help on this. Oh and ironically where I go in Germany there is absolutely no pavement parking and you need to have a permit for most the spaces

[Davef]

I believe it has to actually cause an obstruction. If you could not get past a parked car in your wheelchair you could report it to the police and the vehicles driver might well be prosecuted. I don’t believe if you reported to the police that a hypothetical wheelchair user could not get past it would result in a prosecution.

[ian]

If it obstructs the entire pavement, call the police, it's a problem for them.

I'd ban all and any parking on pavements (and anywhere that isn't a road and driveway) tomorrow. There's no excuse and it's simply unacceptable.

Unfortunately, it isn't (other than in London).  Police can only do something if they actually see the car being driven onto the pavement (in which case there is a relevant offence under the Road Traffic Act which can be used).

Seriously, I didn't make it up, I copied and pasted it from Surrey Police (who aren't in London). And more so, when I dibbed the driver who parked on the corner opposite my house, the police spoke to the registered owner (him) and when he ignored them, issued him a fine and three points. I know this because I made them a cup of tea and they told me.

[Peter]

Ian, do you think they'd give him six points for two cups of tea?  Might be worth a try!