'Pavements are for pedestrians', campaigner says

An accessibility advocate has criticised people who park on pavements ahead of a council consultation on proposed restrictions.

Cliff Bush, co-chair of the Surrey Coalition of Disabled People, says pavement parking can be "very dangerous" for disabled people, school children and mothers with children if they have to walk in the road.

It comes as Tandridge District Council has opened a public consultation on a proposed Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for parts of Caterham in a bid to improve pavement safety.

The proposed PSPO would ban driving, riding and parking on pavements within the designated area for three years, according to the local authority.

The restrictions would apply to Croydon Road - including its service road, Godstone Road, Station Avenue and Clareville Road.

"Pavements are for pedestrians, not cars," Bush said.

"Recently it has got even worse."

The co-chair said he had also seen cases of emergency vehicles being blocked by people parking on pavements.

Councillor Jenny Gaffney said the "measure might seem extreme, but I think you'll find the bulk of residents are very happy with it".

She said offenders could be fined £100 and the council would be deploying specific enforcement.

The proposed PSPO includes exemptions, including for people using mobility aids, emergency service vehicles, utility vehicles carrying out emergency repairs on roads and children under the age of 10 using toy vehicles.

Tandridge District Council said the consultation would end in November.

The PSPO could provisionally be implemented the following month, according to Gaffney.

Half of all councils in England actively encouraged parking on pavements through marked bays or signage, BBC research previously found.

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