Almost two-thirds of people (62%) say it should be illegal to park on pavements across England, supporting a call from councils for new powers.

The research shows annoyance around pavement parking although there is some pushback from drivers

The research by Startline Motor Finance found 28% think that parking on pavements is “just lazy” while 23% believe that motorists should leave the way clear for pedestrians and 21% call it “annoying.”

However, 24% say that it’s often possible to park on pavements and still leave space for pedestrians and 14% defend themselves by insisting they only park on the pavement to drop someone off or pop into a shop.

The research was carried out as a report from the Local Government Association call for long-overdue changes in England to tackle the ‘scourge’ of pavement parking.

While Scotland has a nationwide ban and Wales is exploring restrictions, pavement parking in England is currently only banned outright in London, where councils have powers to exempt certain roads. However, elsewhere in England you can still get a fine for pavement parking where there are local restrictions.

The Government ran a 2020 consultation exploring a possible blanket ban in England, but it’s yet to take action, despite evidence that a ban would save lives and make our streets safer.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “We asked this question following the introduction of a more ‘zero tolerance’ approach to pavement parking in Scotland and our research shows it would be popular with the majority of people right across the UK.

“The research clearly shows quite a lot of annoyance around pavement parking and drivers not leaving enough space for pedestrians to get by, which is understandable, although there is some pushback from drivers who believe you can pavement park responsibly.”