Councillor calls for changes on pavement parking

An Oldham councillor has written to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, urging him to ensure that a consultation on making pavements safer for parents and disabled people "doesn't get forgotten about". 

The government announced back in March that it would launch a consultation in the summer on proposals to tackle pavement parking, which would look at options including how a national pavement parking ban could work, taking into account necessary exceptions, and extending enforcement powers for local authorities. 

But so far it has yet to materialise. 

Liberal Democrat councillor Sam Al-Hamdani, who serves the Saddleworth West and Lees ward, said: "This year has been a turbulent one, and it is still difficult for all of us. But we have to make sure that we carry on fixing day-to-day problems for people. Running a consultation such as this can be done without any real impact from the coronavirus, so is exactly the sort of work that the Government should be taking forward." 

Pavement parking is a constant issue for parents with prams and buggies, and for anyone in a wheelchair, often meaning that they move into the road to pass – whilst being the least able to manoeuvre quickly should they need to.

While he says some of it is necessitated by narrow streets and housebuilding, Cllr Al-Hamdani - who is also a Saddleworth parish councillor - feels there is still the requirement to ensure that all residents can use pavements safely.

He added: "With many residents spending more time at home during lockdown – and using local streets for exercise – it has emphasised the issues that local residents have when cars block the pavement.

"I understand that across the whole of Oldham, we have many streets that make it extremely difficult for parking, which is why the original brief for the consultation was very good – it made it clear that there needed to be specific, different approaches in context. 

"It will mean that people will not always be able to park as close to their house as is ideal, but if it is a choice between that and making someone with a pram or a wheelchair have to move into the road unnecessarily, then that is no choice at all.

"It is also crucial that this is addressed in the Council’s new Local Plan proposals – we need to ensure that we are both maximising the opportunities for sustainable transport, and creating enough space to ensure that cars can be kept out of pedestrians’ way." 

Mr Shapps said back in March: "Vehicles parked on the pavement can cause very real difficulties for many pedestrians.

"That’s why I am taking action to make pavements safer and I will be launching a consultation to find a long-term solution for this complex issue.

"We welcome the Transport Select Committee’s recent report and share their drive to tackle pavement parking and improve people’s daily lives."