THE “real and growing problem” of parking on pavements could be heading in the direction of the new Cheshire West and Chester Council.

The issue was raised by County Hall Lib Dem leader Cllr Sue Proctor (Boughton Heath & Vicars Cross) and Cllr Molly Hale (Lib Dem, Hoole & Newton) in a motion to a full meeting of Cheshire County Council.

Footways and verges are being damaged by parked vehicles and this can result in falls by pedestrians and damage to underground services, argue the councillors.

“Parking on footways and verges hinders pedestrians of all ages including children, people with baby buggies and wheelchairs and those with visual impairment.

“Pedestrians are forced to take risks by using the road rather than the footway if the footway is blocked,” they say.

The Lib Dems called on the county council to launch a road safety campaign aimed at raising awareness of the difficulties caused by parking on footways and verges.

They said the council should recognise the problems of parking in narrow streets and work with local joint highways committees to identify the areas which are worst hit “and to identify possible remedies”.

A report has now been drawn up by road safety manager Richard Nickson who says: “Parking vehicles on the footway is an activity which has become almost the norm for many drivers.”

Usually the problem is worse in heavily built up areas with no off-street parking or where people have more cars than their properties have parking spaces, according to his report.

Often parking on footways and footways appears to take place with “no consideration” for the needs of pedestrians or those with impaired mobility, believes Mr Nickson.

In some very narrow streets, if cars are parked correctly on either side of the road itself it can be difficult or impossible for others to gain access.

“Many streets were never laid out to accommodate a car particularly with the volume and size of modern vehicles,” he suggests.

Pointing out it is an offence to drive on the footway, he says this has to be witnessed by a police officer before any action can be taken.

Parking on the footway in London is an offence and can be dealt with by civil enforcement officers.

“In Cheshire, unless there is some form of a obstruction or other very clear hazard associated with a parked vehicle, it is highly unlikely that any enforcement action will occur,” Mr Nickson is to tell councillors.

Parking restrictions can deal with the problem but in heavily built up areas with very limited off-street parking, this can disadvantage occupiers and usually proves unpopular.

Mr Nickson reveals that in the last three years, there have been almost 50 personal injury collisions involving a pedestrian and a parked or stationary vehicle.

Although 58 people were injured, 12 seriously, there is no indication that parking, “for example on the footway”, was a major contributing factor.

The issue, according to Mr Nickson “appears to be one of neighbourliness and the disadvantage that footway parking causes to those who are pedestrians or have mobility impairment in some form and the obstruction that a parked vehicle potentially causes”.

Commenting “there is no straightforward solution to this issue” Mr Nickson feels that as the county council ceases to exist at the end of next March and there are other higher priority road safety and community concerns, the issue could best be dealt with at the appropriate time by the new council.

There is no scope, he feels, for a campaign.

He is recommending to a County Hall meeting on Monday, November 10 that executive member for highways and transportation Cllr Eveleigh Moore Dutton (Con, Broxton) should recognise that parking on the footway is a “real and growing problem”.

The issue causes inconvenience and obstruction for many people although Mr Nickson adds there do not appear to be any locations where road safety is affected or evidence of a widespread problem.

He suggests the police should be urged to take action to tackle the issue where obstruction or driving on the footway is seen and that the Cheshire West and Chester Council should be asked to deal with local parking concerns.