Councils crack down on pavement parking to protect access for vulnerable users

For parents with pushchairs, wheelchair users, older people, and those with sight loss, a car parked on the pavement can make even a short journey stressful, slow, or dangerous. But now, local councils across England will have stronger powers to tackle pavement parking, helping to keep pavements clear and accessible for everyone.

“Clear pavements are essential for people to move around safely and independently,” said local transport minister Lilian Greenwood. “These new powers will help more people travel with confidence.”

Guide Dogs’ chief executive Andrew Lennox welcomed the move, saying blocked pavements can force people with sight loss into dangerous roads and prevent them from accessing work, education, and social opportunities.

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What this means for you

For many people, this change will be felt in the small, everyday moments of getting from A to B. Walking to school with a pushchair, heading to the shops in a wheelchair, or navigating familiar streets with sight loss should become easier and safer, with fewer cars blocking the pavement. Clearer paths mean fewer awkward detours and less need to step into busy roads just to get around an obstacle.

Drivers are unlikely to see a one-size-fits-all crackdown. Instead, councils will be able to take a common-sense approach that reflects how different streets are used. In places where pavement parking causes real problems, action can be taken. Where parking partly on the pavement helps keep traffic moving and doesn’t block access, councils can still allow it. The aim is to tackle inconsiderate and dangerous parking, not punish drivers who park responsibly.

For local communities, the biggest change is who gets to decide. Rather than rules being set centrally, local councils – who know their streets best – will be able to respond to what actually works in their area. That should mean clearer rules, more consistent enforcement, and fewer long-standing parking problems being ignored.

This approach also reflects what most people already believe. Research from the RAC shows a clear majority of drivers agree that no one should be forced into the road because of someone else’s parking.

As Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, put it: “A blocked pavement isn’t a small inconvenience – it can stop a journey altogether. Giving decisions to local leaders means solutions that work for real streets and real people.”

What happens next?

Government guidance on how councils should use these powers proportionately and fairly will be published later in 2026. Local authorities will then decide if, and how, to introduce new restrictions in their area.

The aim is simple: streets that work for everyone, where people can move around safely, confidently, and independently – no matter how they travel.

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