After years of campaigning, Rebecca has welcomed the Government’s long-awaited response to the national consultation on pavement parking and the announcement of new local powers to help keep pavements clear. This is an issue Rebecca has raised repeatedly on behalf of residents across Reigate, Redhill, Banstead and our villages - and one that has real consequences for wheelchair users, people with sight loss, older residents, and parents with pushchairs who should never be forced into the road just to get past an inconsiderately parked vehicle.
The Government’s pavement parking consultation was launched back on 31 August 2020 and closed in November of that year. Rebecca, first as a councillor and more recently an MP, has been pushing for a proper response ever since.
Rebecca said:
“Pavement Parking has been a persistent problem across the borough, but especially in Redhill town centre, where pedestrianised areas have too often been treated like a car park. For anyone using a wheelchair, walking with a cane, pushing a buggy, or living with sight loss, blocked pavements can really impact on their day-to-day life and ability to get out and about. I have been calling for years for a government response to the consultation and for a practical, locally led solution that doesn't involve a blanket ban."
Today the Government has set out a two-track approach. First, it says it will move to a new devolved framework where local transport authorities can prohibit pavement parking across their areas “at the next legislative opportunity”, rather than relying on the current street-by-street approach. For us in Surrey this power will sit with the highest tier of local government - Surrey County Council for now and the new East Surrey Unitary Authority in the long term.
Second, because primary legislation will take time, the Government says it will also proceed with an “interim” measure through secondary legislation: allowing authorities that already have civil enforcement powers to enforce against “unnecessary obstruction” of the pavement. The Government says this power will not require additional signs, will sit alongside existing Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) powers, and will be supported by statutory guidance.
In its own press release, the Department for Transport says the aim is to make it easier for councils to restrict pavement parking across wider areas (rather than individual streets), while still allowing flexibility and exemptions where pavement parking may be necessary on narrow roads. The department also says guidance will follow later in 2026.
Rebecca welcomes these developments. The Government’s consultation response sets out how widespread the issue is. It reports 15,381 consultation responses, and that large majorities of respondents across categories said pavement parking is a problem in their area. It also reports that 41% of individuals answering that question said they would leave home more often if there was no pavement parking to prevent them - a striking indication of how this affects people’s confidence and independence.
That information tracks closely with what Rebecca hears locally. Residents regularly describe having to step into the road to pass vehicles left on pavements - exactly the kind of daily hazard that undermines independence and makes walking around our towns and villages feel less safe, especially for disabled residents and parents with young children.
Rebecca has consistently argued for practical solutions coupled with firm enforcement. In October 2025 she hosted a parliamentary roundtable with accessibility organisations, calling for a clearer system that empowers councils to act against unnecessary obstruction, without defaulting to blanket bans that do not reflect how some streets function. She has also raised the issue directly in Parliament.
Taken as a whole, today's announcements are welcome, but as always the devil will be in the detail.
