Motorists face fines of up to £70 for parking on pavements under a Department for Transport review.

A ban on pavement parking would bring England in line with London.

The move would bring the rest of England in line with London, where pavement parking has been banned by default for more than 40 years, and follows DfT suggestions of a pavement parking review some two years ago that was not carried out.

Although councils in England can create Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to impose local bans on pavement parking, the Local Government Association (LGA) says it’s a time-consuming, expensive and bureaucratic process.

The Government has confirmed that an investigation will be conducted as part of a wider overhaul of traffic regulations that is expected to be completed later this year.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “There are some streets that are so narrow that if cars park on both sides it wouldn’t allow emergency vehicles or bin lorries to get through.

However, he added: “We would be concerned if there was a blanket ban because it is clearly possible in some areas to park on the pavement while still allowing room for pushchairs or people in wheelchairs to pass.”