At the full Council Meeting on Wednesday 14^th December 2016 Oldham Lib Dems will call for action on pavement parking.

Cllr Chris Gloster, Lib Dem spokesperson for Highways said: “One issue that brings me a lot of complaints from residents relates to vehicles parked on the pavement causing inconvenience to residents and footpath users alike.”

“There is currently no specific legislation outlawing parking on the pavement per se. Instead Police officers are forced to use the offence of unnecessary obstruction when dealing with these incidents, and on a scale of priorities, these types of calls fall to the bottom of the list for Greater Manchester Police to resource, as like every other public service, they are stretched to the limit due to under funding and under staffing.”

“When the Police can respond, it is usually in the shape of a local police community support officer who can only speak to the offenders and advise, as they are not empowered to deal with the matter by means of fixed penalty notice, unless they are a Traffic PCSO, which our community PCSOs are not.”

“In a town like Oldham, it is a difficult call to introduce local by-laws banning pavement parking outright, particularly in built up areas with on street parking and narrow roads, and the Liberal Democrat Group have resisted making that call in the hope that a sensible solution that targets the selfish and inconsiderate, but works for the wider community, can be achieved.”

Cllr Rod Blyth, who will second the motion stated: “Selfish pavement parking is a hazard for pedestrians, especially those with sight loss, parents with pushchairs, wheelchair users and other people with disabilities. Night-time is also a big issue with emergency vehicles unable to access some of our streets due to the narrowness that inconsiderately parked vehicles cause. A robust approach to enforcement is needed”.

Cllr Chris Gloster will propose a motion asking the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police asking the force to enforce the legislation in relation to obstructive pavement parking and to empower local police community support officers to issue fixed penalty notices where appropriate.’

Council 14 December 2016 – Notice of Opposition Business – Enforcement of Offences relating to Pavement Parking

This Council notes:

• Pavement parking can pose a hazard to pedestrians, especially people with sight loss, parents with pushchairs, wheelchair users and other disabled people.
• People with sight loss are especially at risk as they can be forced into the road and faced with oncoming traffic that they cannot see.
• Pavements are not designed to take the weight of vehicles and so surfaces can become damaged or subside, presenting a further hazard for pedestrians, particularly those with disabilities.

Council notes that there are currently offences in law where vehicles are driven over the footpath or where vehicles cause an unreasonable obstruction on the footway; regrettably these offences are frequently left unenforced.

This Council resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police to request:

• Greater Manchester Police enforce the legislation
• That Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) be empowered to issue fixed penalty notices to offenders