Pavement parking ban set to be trialled in Cambridge

A ban on pavement parking could be trialled in parts of Cambridge after councillors agreed to develop a pilot scheme.

Any restrictions would be subject to traffic regulation orders (TROs), with the trial starting in Cambridge before a decision is made about whether it could be rolled out elsewhere.

Areas where concerns have been raised to the county council about pavement and verge parking include the roads around the Cledara Abbey Stadium and those in Queen Edith’s near Netherhall School and in Gunhild Way, near Queen Emma School.

But it will be up to the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) to develop and fund the pilot after councillors agreed to task them with the work.

The GCP will also be asked to investigate the feasibility of red routes, which are clearways where vehicles cannot stop.

A report to Cambridgeshire County Council’s highways and transport committee said: “Parking on pavements is not just inconvenient, it creates a hazard for people walking and wheeling, particularly those who are blind or partially sighted. It can block access along footways for wheelchair users and people pushing buggies, necessitating that they walk in the carriageway to get past, putting them in greater danger.”

The committee heard concerns on Tuesday (5 March) that Mill Road had been omitted from the list of problem areas.

However, the council says the list is not exhaustive and it expects further areas to be added, including Mill Road and East Road.

Martin Lucas-Smith told the meeting: “Pavement parking is a scourge that steals space from pedestrians and has become endemic and it represents a culture of disrespect.”

A motion calling for the cost of introducing a pilot scheme to be determined and a budget set aside was approved by the council last July.

Cllr Alex Beckett (Lib Dem, Queen Edith’s), chair of the council’s highways and transport committee, put the motion forward.

“Problem pavement parking within our urban environments is a constant problem. It obstructs free passage and creates a hostile environment for many people, particularly the most vulnerable in society with visual or mobility impairments,” he said.

He cited a confused.com survey of 2,000 adults which found that 72 per cent had been forced into the road to avoid a car parked on the pavement and 44 per cent had felt unsafe because of this.

A YouGov poll by Living Streets found a staggering 87 per cent of parents with children aged four to 11 had to step into the road due to a parked vehicle.

A campaign called ‘PaveMeant 4 People’ was launched in November against pavement parking and other illegal parking along Mill Road in Cambridge. Run by active travel campaigners Mill Road 4 People (MR4P), the campaign aims to raise awareness of the negative impacts of anti-social parking and put pressure on Cambridgeshire County Council to enforce regulations.

There is currently a government Bill to amend the law to make it an offence to park on pavements, however timescales are not known.

Local authorities in England can restrict pavement parking on individual streets or by area using a TRO and marking out the areas with the appropriate signs and lines. The approximate cost of implementing these restrictions is £7,000 per 100m length of restriction, to include staff costs, the TRO process and the signs and lines.

However, the report to councillors acknowledges that a ban in one area however “may just shift the problem elsewhere”.

“The pilot, if agreed by the GCP, would be subject to an assessment of suitability and feasibility along with consultation and detailed design.

“It is proposed that if the GCP agrees to develop a pavement parking pilot it is implemented using an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO) for a period of up to 18 months. The area would be monitored, and consultation would be carried out as part of the ETO.

“The GCP would be asked for its recommendations to the highways and transport committee on future parking policy informed by the pilot, and by the results of the consultation.”

The Local Government Association (LGA) said earlier this month that councils do not have the powers they need to tackle the “scourge” of pavement parking. According to the LGA, “inconsiderate parking presents a real hazard and a potential danger to life”.

London is currently the only area in England where pavement parking is banned, and the LGA report urges the government to extend the ban to the rest of the country.

The report was commissioned by the LGA and carried out by travel charity Sustrans and disability rights organisation Transport for All.

It says pavement parking can also damage the surface, creating trip hazards and leading to costly repairs.

In 2021, the Scottish government passed a law giving local authorities the power to prohibit pavement parking. The legislation received ministerial approval in December, which led to Edinburgh becoming the first city in Scotland to enforce the ban last month. Glasgow has since confirmed that it intends to follow Edinburgh’s lead.

In Edinburgh, the £100 fine is reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.

A Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on giving councils in the rest of the country the power to prohibit pavement parking ended in November 2020, but no announcement has been made.

A DfT spokesperson said its consultation response “will be published in due course”.

“While local authorities already have powers to prohibit pavement parking through local regulation, we have consulted on further helping them take action,” it said.