Street parking - pavements

We have a responsibility to keep the roads and footpaths safe to use. 

Illegally parked vehicles cost us thousands of pounds a year in damaged paving and grass verges and cause serious problems for blind, disabled and older people.

Pavements are provided for pedestrian use and can suffer damage from vehicles driving over them. Vehicles parked on pavements are a hazard to:

• pedestrians – forcing them to walk out into the road
• wheelchair users – forcing them out into the road
• motorists – vehicles parked on the footway or verge near junctions can cause visibility problems
• utility companies – shallow equipment such as cable TV, water service pipes or electric cables can be damaged
• blocking residents’ access to their homes.  

Also the majority of grass verges adjacent to roads are our responsibility. We cut the grass for safety rather than environmental reasons and vehicles parked on grass verges can obstruct this operation and cause damage.

How we deal with cars causing hazards?

If there are waiting restrictions in place then these extend across the footway and verge and the matter can be dealt with by our Parking Services Team. Where there aren’t any waiting restrictions in place then complaints of obstructive parking may be dealt with by the Police.

If a dropped kerb (access to a drive) is being blocked then in some cases our Parking Services Team will take action.

If there is any damage caused, wherever possible it is important to report the vehicle details and any other observations, so that we can attempt to recover the full cost of repairs. 

In some situations we will consider taking action to prevent parking on the footway or verge. This would mean installing a measure such as bollards or guard rails. However, these are not always appropriate and each case is assessed individually.

How can I report a problem?

Contact us if you want to report a problem.