Unanimous support has been given to the leader of the Isle of Wight Council to ask the government for pavement parking enforcement powers.
Concerns over pavement parking and the obstruction problems that causes for certain Island residents was brought as a motion to the full council by the cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, Councillor Ian Ward, earlier this week.
It was calling for powers currently held by the police to be transferred to the council so pavement parking can be dealt with locally, by parking enforcement officers, and action actually taken.
Cllr Adrian Axford told the meeting about his son, who has been a wheelchair his whole life and the struggles he has faced travelling around Ryde — first with the lack of dropped kerbs and now with vehicles making it impossible to pass by on the pavement. He said:
“After a lot of fighting we were able to get some [dropped kerbs] so he was able to go out on his own which gave him a tremendous feeling of independence.
“Suddenly, he tries to go out now and someone is parked on the pavement — it is not so bad going out but on his way home he cannot get passed vehicles, he cannot get home.”
Cllr Axford also said the issue of pavement parking stops those visually impaired from going out, increasing their isolation.
Although, some councillors raised concerns that even if the powers are given to the local authority there is still no guarantee they will be used.
Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox said there are areas in her ward that if there was no pavement parking, there would be nowhere to park at all. She said:
“We need to make provisions if we are going to bring this in … while I support the obstruction enforcement powers, there is a lot of work that needs to be done with Island Roads about allowing people to park in their front gardens, looking at how it is going to be done and where the displacement of parking will go.”
Cllr Ward said they were not asking for a blanket ban of pavement parking but enforcement powers to deal with obstructive parking, and discretionary use. He gave the example of parking that was ‘blatantly’ breaking the rules but when council officers went to deal with the problem could not enforce any penalty as it fell into the jurisdiction of police powers.
Council leader, Cllr Dave Stewart, said it showed a ‘total lack of consideration for others’ and will now write a letter to the relevant government minister to get the approval of the transition of power.
Parking on pavements has been an issue for many years and yes it can be very difficult for wheelchair users I agree however most of the housing developments were created back in the 50’s and 60’s even before and parking was not an issue due to one car in each family this has all changed and the council know this yet will license shared houses and multiple occupants and then when children grow up there are no homes left for the council to offer hence they stay at home and sometimes this can mean 4 cars in one house! the other thing to bear in mind is the pavement has become a raceway with all the unlicensed mobillty scooters rushing along them and these should be charged a fee for insurance and tax. But in all honesty this will get crazy as the council will employ a company that will over bonuses to their parking agents to see who gets the most tickets and the council just want it for another revenue stream!
Here they come, this is going to be good. Car drivers self entitlement brigade assemble. Damn pedestrians, horse riders, cyclists, they’re the problem, everybody but us and our 4×4 killing machines.
If implemented it will be the thin end of a wedge, surely it would be better if the council put pressure on the Police to ensure any infringements suitable dealt with.
Quite agree, Council people are not policemen (even if they had been), they cannot start ordering the public around unless they are fully trained as policemen are. The council are taking too much on themselves, far better for them to complain that the police are not doing their job and campaign for more policemen
First they say they want powers to tackle speeding drivers, now pavement parkers. They sniff an opportunity to make some money here I bet. Leave it to the police, give them more budget to do their job and focus on being a Council because they can’t seem to get that right. Spending obscene amounts on the floating bridge and st marys mess.
Instead of researching a sustainable policy, IW Council would rather grab at what they think is an income opportunity. They have no hope of enforcing it, not least because now the Police will rightly say “not my problem” and white van man will simply intimidate any civil officer.
Meanwhile, national policy on this issue is still undecided, so going it alone at this stage seems foolhardy.
But if Cllr Ward thinks it’s a good idea, who are we to think otherwise?
It’s about time because Arnold road in cowes there’s always a VW van that always parks on the pavement forcing you to walk around on the road also there’s a work van near the bottom st Faith’s road on the corner of warrior Avenue that always parks right on the pavement forcing myself and other mums with push chairs to walk around on to the road…..NO CONSIDERATION FOR PEDESTRIANS!!!!!!!
Best thing to do is squeeze by with your pushchair hang the damage you have the right to use the pavement.
Typical council, DS and his mates need to put their efforts into doing what they are supposed to be doing but a whole lot better.
This could end up like the old speed cameras where the council had to maintain the speed cameras and the government took the revenue. With this scheme the council will pay for the traffic wardens and the government will again take the revenue.
And for minimum wage as well the traffic wardens must be a very sad bunch to do a job like that knowing full well the councillors earn more than the traffic wardens full days pay in less than a hr.
Cllr Adrian Axford told the meeting about his son, who has been a wheelchair his whole life
That is a new low for a councillor – using his own son as justification for trying to rinse more money from the taxpayers into council coffers and ultimately in his pocket in the form of a higher salary
I would be very pleased to see car drivers not parking on pavements. Apart from the poor people in wheelchairs that have to maneuver around these vehicles, I also have great sympathy for those of you that have tried to maneuver a pushchair, possibly with a further young child in tow. These drivers are putting pedestrians at serious risk. They also, at times, block the vision of other drivers.
On all too many occasions I have witnessed the ‘lazy’ driver parking dangerously, as they can not be bothered to walk 4 metres to their home. They should be held accountable for this and be made aware they are putting others at risk.
It’s not just drivers putting pedestrians at risk.. Its also pedestrians also pushing chairs while smoking or on the blower or even both at times.. You see a lump of metal and you blame it suddenly.. You can’t tell me in all a person’s life of driving that he or she has never obstructed walk way or gang way… And for some people like you snitching in your comment quite literal to name the motors in topic that people have no other means of parking at all.. Not 4 metres walk some times 4 k of walk who have to get home for their family.. Picking children up also safety for children not having to carry on crossing busy roads and streets.. Baring in mind it’s safety for everyone so just because you dont see this because this part ain’t part of your life I don’t dismiss what your saying completely even tho I think it’s way too blown up.. Seeing is for believing but you don’t know the intent behind every car or VW white van some people are desperate measures and people like you don’t always see that.. Conclusions jumped at any given point.. Council will try to make money any way they can so for them using the heading of this page shows how low they can be.. Do some research if you don’t know what I mean.. Where there’s a blame there’s a claim.. Way too miss used on this island.. Ooohh I broke my arm while while trying too squeeze through a tiny gap due to a white VW van.. Cumon… What about massive crators we call potholes. Nothing fast is getting done about them… We all pay a massive cut for council to run and on top we have to pay more.. You and the rest are barking stuff but no knowledge behind..
We’re not always lazy as you say. I can bet you have a lovely safe driveway available whereas some of us have to find somewhere to park near our houses in roads that are taken up by commuters or workers who won’t use car parks because of the greedy council charges and have no consideration for homeowners. Try having young kids and a boot full of shopping and having to park two streets away from your house and see how you feel. I agree if you don’t have these problems you shouldn’t use pavements or at least move cars once unloaded but sometimes there’s no other choice.
It’s about time. The only thing inconsiderate people respond to is being fined. Fine them until inconsiderates change their behaviour.
School pick up time is one of the worst offenders (and it doesn’t matter that its 10-15 minutes). I’ve nearly been run over several times by cars fully mounting pavements.
But the main thing is you didn’t get run over.. Mountain out of a mile hill once again..
School pick ups are always a problem. Why can’t they park further away and collect kids and have a bit of a walk? Wouldn’t do any of them any harm legs were invented before cars!
There we go again you are also putting people into a catorgary.. Because people have legs they should walk.. That is b s… You are labeling. I’m sure if you were friendly with driver you wouldn’t get so shitty… Cumon guys your playing into hands of the wealthy.. I. E people who run this island..
In my road we were told we must park on the pavement or we block the road. The houses on one side were only given planning permission on the proviso that part of the exstensive fron gardens could be taken when the need arose. That need arose twenty years ago, but it will never happen, so the houses were built on a false pronise and we will be punished for living older houes.
I am a mobility scooter user and I am dammed if I use the roads and dammed if I use the pavements. Life must be great for those who do not have to use them.
that is because most mobility scooter users are selfish and seem to think that they have the right to “drive” through all the people using the pavements as pedestrians
Stop allowing developments with narrow roads
JUST STOP —-ERS PARKING ON PAVEMENTS.
Island roads will not support my application for off road parking because my frontage is only 4.3 metres the rules state that it has to be 4.8 metres yet my cars length is only 3.9 metres most of the popular family cars are less than 4.3 metres in length, but because I might sell my house at a latter date to someone who has a car which is longer I am not allowed off road parking . A new build 3 bedroom house only has to supply parking for two cars so after mum and dad have parked their cars where do the kids park theirs. The council and island roads need to look at their policies first. This is a problem that will only get worse, parking fines will not solve it.
It will be good for some type of enforcement,its not PARKING its OBSTRUCTION, the police will slope shoulders and say ‘Not us’ it the Council. Lets have the enforcement with the option of puts it before a Court not some bonus lead private company, there has to be some independantancy built into any legislation