Pavement parking fines incoming throughout England with councils handed enforcement powers underneath new legislation

Councils across England have been granted powers to enforce pavement parking in their areas after changes to legislation were sworn in this week.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act received royal assent on Wednesday, which includes landmark legislation for authorities to tackle dangerous parking. 

Councils will now be able to dish out fines to motorists who are deemed to be blocking footpaths with their vehicles, even if they have just a single wheel on the kerb.

The law change is being celebrated by disability groups as a victory against selfish drivers who persistently create dangerous scenarios for those with poor visibility and require the use of wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

However, some motorists are likely to look upon it as another means to attack the nation’s drivers with penalties to bolster council coffers.

The change to law comes more than five years after the Tory Government launched a consultation into tackling pavement parking at a local ansid national level in which four in five (81 per cent) people – and 96 per cent of organisations and businesses – said motorists parking partially or fully on footpaths was a problem in their area.

Two in five of the 15,000 respondents also said they would leave home more often if pavement parking issues were addressed where they live. Yet, no further action was taken at the time. 

Labour’s proposal to tackle pavement parking will be delivered in two phases. 

By the end of 2026, ministers intend to give local authority civil enforcement officers (CEOs) powers to ticket obstruction on the footway. 

At present, only the police can issue penalty charges to vehicles deemed to be causing an obstruction across much of England. 

CEOs can use their existing powers to enforce against parking on dropped kerbs or adjacent to yellow lines, and these amendments to regulations will expand their ability to tackle the worst instances of cars blocking pavements.

The second stage will be to create a national regulatory framework, giving local authorities broader powers to enforce against pavement parking and more efficient means to introduce signage and exemption-making provisions.

The legislation means parking enforcement across England will be brought in line with rules in London that have existed for over half a century. 

In the capital, penalty charges for parking on the footway range from £60 to £130, though fines are halved if paid within a fortnight.

To date, councils in England have been able to impose pavement parking bans on individual streets, though this has required a lengthy and prolonged application process with limited enforcement.

Under the new rules, exemptions will be allowed where needed. This includes on narrow residential streets where drivers partially park on the pavement as to not block the highway.

Scotland also introduced a similar law in 2023. The Northern Irish Government too announced in 2025 its intention to introduce new powers restricting pavement parking, while Wales is exploring options to tackle the issue.

Earlier this year, local transport minister Lilian Greenwood said she ‘understands the frustration’ among people who have waited half a decade for meaningful action but caveated that a ‘problem as complex and widespread as pavement parking’ must be handled with care.

‘We needed to listen to campaigners, to local authorities, to those with lived experience and we needed to ensure that any solution would be fair, effective and enduring. That takes time and I want to thank everyone who has remained engaged and committed throughout this process,’ she said.

‘Clear pavements are essential for people to move around safely and independently, whether that’s a parent with a pushchair, someone using a wheelchair, or a blind or partially sighted person.

‘That’s why we’re giving local authorities the power to crack down on problem pavement parking, allowing more people to travel easily and safely and get to where they need to go.’

Chris Theobald, senior policy and campaigns manager at Guide Dogs said the charity is ‘delighted’ with the law change having ‘campaigned for decades’ for a crackdown on dangerous footpath parkers.

‘Blocked pavements are a problem for everyone trying to walk down the street safely, but are especially dangerous for people with sight loss, wheelchair and powerchair users, and people with pushchairs, who may have no option but to step into the road.

‘We are looking forward to working with the Government and councils on developing the details of the rules. It’s essential these are developed and enforced quickly to ensure that everyone can get from A to B without being stopped or forced into the road.’

The RAC has also backed the decision, cited its own research showing a ‘clear majority’ of drivers supporting a ban on pavement parking.

In survey of 1,709 UK drivers conducted in September, it found that 83 per cent wanted new rules implemented.

However, policy spokesman Rod Dennis said the rules must still ‘permit drivers to partially park on pavements where doing so helps keep traffic flowing and doesn’t inconvenience other people’.

Also receiving royal assent on Wednesday is the new Crime and Policing Act 2026, which includes a clampdown on car thieves.

The act now makes it an offence to possess, import, manufacture or sell electronic devices used in vehicle theft, including relay attack tools and key emulation devices.