New pavement parking powers welcomed by Marie and Charlie, and so many others across our region

New powers given to local councils to crack down on ‘dangerous’ pavement parking come as a ‘relief’ to Greater Manchester campaigners and the partially sighted.

The Department of Transport (DfT) today announced councils would be given greater powers of enforcement for ‘unnecessary obstruction of the pavement’. 

Obstructions by vehicles to footpaths can put pedestrians at risk, especially families with kids, those on wheelchairs or mobility aids, and the partially sighted. 

While motorists may argue they have ‘no choice’ but to mount the curb to park in Greater Manchester’s many narrow residential streets, the new powers will not be a blanket ban. 

Instead, the locally led approach would see local authorities make their own decisions about how to tackle the issue, such as by targeting known ‘hot-spot’ areas. 

Marie Howarth, 42, from Shaw, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she was ‘relieved’ by the news, which came after years of campaigning by groups such as Guide Dogs and the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.

“I’ve got no sight whatsoever, so I literally put my life in my guide dog’s paws when we leave the house,” said Marie, who lives with three-year-old guide dog Charlie.

She frequently has to step into the road to avoid parked cars in her neighbourhood, with simple trips to the shop or park quickly turning into ‘anxiety-driven experiences’. 

She said: “The problem is, there could be multiple cars parked in a row, so when you step into the road, you never know when you’ll be able to get back onto the pavement.

"It’s a really risky situation to put yourself in.

“If there’s somewhere I know it happens a lot,

"I’ll end up taking longer routes just to avoid it. 

“I would never want anything to happen to my dog or myself.

"He’s also my mobility, so if anything happens to him, I could be out of action for weeks, or at worst it could be fatal.” 

The chief executive officer of Guide Dogs, Andrew Lennox, said he is looking forward to working with local authorities to introduce the changes ‘quickly and efficiently. 

“Pavement parking is a barrier that shuts people out of everyday life.

"When pavements are blocked, people with sight loss lose confidence, independence and the freedom to travel safely.

"This stops people accessing work, education and social opportunities.”

MPs from several Greater Manchester boroughs have welcomed the news, including Rusholme MP Afzal Khan, who campaigned on the issue last year with a petition to the government. 

Mr Khan said: “Pavement parking forces young children, wheelchair users, blind and partially sighted people onto the busy streets here in Manchester.

"If it is clearly dangerous in London, then it is dangerous here in Manchester too.”

Bolton North East MP Kirith Entwistle MP also cautiously welcomed the changes, stating she had heard from ‘so many people with mobility issues, sight issues, and parents with prams about how unsafe they feel being made to walk in the road’.

Though she added there are areas in Bolton where harsher enforcement could cause issues.  

“I do appreciate that in some parts of Bolton we have older housing with very small streets and no driveways, and a blanket ban on pavement parking could in practice be a ban on owning a car for people in communities like this across the country,” she said.

“I agree with the Government’s approach to empower local areas to make their own choices on how to enforce pavement parking restrictions, in a way that reflects the needs of local residents.”

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