A significant and potentially controversial amendment to the Highway Code has come into effect across England, granting homeowners a new right that is set to change the dynamics of street parking.
The updated rule now explicitly allows residents to park vehicles across the dropped kerb directly outside their own property. This manoeuvre, which was previously more ambiguous, is now permissible even if it results in the pavement being partially or fully obstructed.
Implications for Pedestrians and Accessibility
This change has immediately raised concerns among advocacy groups for disabled and vulnerable people. The ability to park across a pavement could force wheelchair users, those with visual impairments, and parents with prams to divert onto the road to get around the vehicle, potentially putting them in the path of traffic.
Charities have warned that this prioritises the convenience of drivers over the safety and accessibility of the pavement, which is a vital piece of community infrastructure for those not in cars.
The Legal Distinction: Your Kerb vs. Theirs
It is crucial to understand the specific wording of the new rule. The permission only applies to parking across the dropped kerb of your own residence. Parking across a neighbour's dropped kerb without their explicit permission remains a traffic offence and can result in a fine.
This creates a clear legal distinction based on property ownership, placing the responsibility on individual homeowners to manage the space directly outside their homes.
A National Issue with Local Ramifications
This national rule change is expected to have a pronounced effect in urban and suburban areas where off-street parking is limited and competition for space is high. It effectively formalises a common practice, but in doing so, may lead to an increase in pavement obstructions.
The government's stance is that this provides clarity for homeowners, but critics argue it fails to address the wider, unresolved issue of irresponsible pavement parking which remains a problem across the country.
