Bangor, Conwy Môn MS Janet Finch-Saunders has renewed calls for a ban on pavement parking as the Welsh Government considers giving councils more powers to tackle the problem.
Deputy Minister for Transport Mark Hooper told the Senedd on Tuesday (10 November) that officials were working on the issue and that there was growing agreement across the chamber on the need for action. He gave no date for when councils could get new powers.
Finch-Saunders raised the issue during a Senedd discussion on updated active travel guidance. She said parked vehicles could leave pavements impassable for wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs, forcing people into the road to get past. She highlighted new housing estates where, she said, some residents had too little space to park outside their homes.
The Welsh Conservative MS said, “I have called on the Deputy Minister for Transport to urgently implement a ban on pavement parking and ensure that it is properly enforced.”
Hooper said pavement parking was one of the first issues he wanted to tackle after taking office and had generated more correspondence than almost any other issue. He told the Senedd, “It is important that we get on with it.” He said officials were already working on it and indicated that he wanted councils to have the power to make decisions locally.
The Welsh Government first backed plans in 2020 to give councils powers to enforce against vehicles obstructing pavements, with July 2022 initially earmarked for enforcement. The proposals were repeatedly delayed. In February this year, then transport secretary Ken Skates said he favoured giving councils greater powers to deal with unnecessary obstruction.
There is currently no Wales-wide ban on pavement parking. Councils can enforce existing parking restrictions, and police can act where vehicles cause an obstruction or are parked dangerously. More than four years after the original target date, a timetable for new council powers has yet to be announced.
