Unless you live in a London borough, there is currently no explicit law that bans parking on pavements.
However "anti-social" parking, as it's known, can be a major inconvenience and danger to wheelchair users, members of the blind community, pedestrians with mobility needs and people with pushchairs.
It often forces pedestrians to use roads rather than pavements, or more worryingly, forces them back into their homes in fear.
David Waite is a wheelchair user who is increasingly uneasy about taking trips out of the house due to the danger posed by antisocially parked cars.
The 47-year-old from Forest Hall, who has complex PTSD, is trying to raise awareness about the damage it causes to people's lives.
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"It's terrible from an accessibility point of view" he said. "And when cars park on pavements that aren't designed to be driven on, they also cause damage to the paths, which then causes further accessibility issues.
"The state of pavements in Newcastle and North Tyneside is a cause of great anxiety, but also anger for me.
"I like to stay active, but when you come home from a tumultuous journey, you feel absolutely exhausted and your body hurts all over. It makes you fearful to go out again."
According to research from the Guide Dog charity, 32 per cent of people with vision impairments and 48 per cent of wheelchair users were less willing to go out on their own because of pavement parking.
David's partner, 51-year-old Sharon Fairrie, recently had knee replacement surgery and also finds walking around their local area a challenge.
He explained: "The broken paving slabs present a difficulty, as she is often catching her toes or twising her knee. It means she's more likely to walk on the road than the pavement.
"There is a school on our street and the parents park up all over the pavements, which means we have to carefully plan when we leave the house.
"We are normally out before 7am, and then we stay in for the remainder of the day, so it's a cause of real social isolation."
He continued: "Although the pavements around the centre of Forest Hall and on the new estates have been improved, it's a completely different story as you move to the older, residential areas.
"The roads near my house are meant to be inspected because they are on bus routes, but it honestly feels like you are taking your life in your own hands.
"It's a similar situation around the Tyneside terraces of Heaton, where my son lives. The pavements are damaged and there is limited parking, which means I can rarely go to visit him.
"I understand that councils need millions to repair the pavements, but we also need more investment in public transport so there's less cars parked on the pavement in the first place."
David said that since starting his twitter account 'Safer Pavements' to try and raise awareness of the issue, he's had lots of people reach out to him to share similar experiences.
He said: "Older women, who are generally fit and health, are scared to go out for fear of falling and as a result, are taking a battering to their mental health through social isolation.
"One had smashed her face in after trying to get up the pavement near her house. I went to have a look, and the site was horrendous."
A Department for Transport’s consultation into future pavement parking rules came to an end in November 2020. However, no decision or analysis of the results of the consultation has yet been released.
The report confirms a “summary of responses will be published within three months of the consultation closing" meaning results are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The new report will show the level of industry support for the three proposals put forward and which one the Government is likely to edge towards.
Option one and two would see improvements to the existing system or give local authorities extra powers to deal with pavement obstructions.
But option three would introduce a nationwide pavement parking prohibition which would see the practice banned across the UK.
This would extend the existing London ban meaning drivers would be fined around £70 for each infringement.
David added: "When I started the campaigning process, I wanted to fight for a nationwide ban. I started a petition, and it gained a lot of traction, but I couldn't get much further than that.
"Now I've changed my approach. I reached out to a couple of charities who claim they fix pavements, but I'm not convinced of their efficiency, because a lot of the money you raise goes to paying wages in London, rather than into the local community.
"So now I'm in the process of setting up a community interest company to try and make meaningful change."
Phil Scott, Director of Environment, Housing and Leisure at North Tyneside Council, said: “Parking on the pavement can cause great stress and anxiety, and even danger, for all footpath users - especially people in wheelchairs, parents with prams, elderly pedestrians and people who are visually impaired.
“We sympathise with anyone who encounters this problem, and we would urge motorists to always be considerate and compassionate when parking their cars.
“The council will continue to take action and issue tickets where there are enforceable restrictions in place. Dangerous parking and general obstructions, including parking on pavements and grass verges, are a matter for Northumbria Police.
“We also understand the importance of having well maintained pavements that are safe, attractive and accessible for everyone.
“North Tyneside’s Elected Mayor Norma Redfearn CBE has listened to residents and made footpath improvements a priority, which has led to additional money being invested in footpaths in recent years.
"The most recent independent analysis of the borough’s footpath network (for 20/21) showed 79% of the footway network is at a ‘good’ to ‘mid-life’ state. This is an improvement on the previous year (77%) suggesting the additional investment in footways is having an impact.
“Whenever road and pavement defects are reported to us, more than 99 per cent are sorted within 10 working days. People can report problems with roads and pavements via the council’s website.”
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: “We would urge people to have consideration for others by not parking vehicles on pavements. This would not only cause an obstruction and a risk to people’s safety, it could also result in damage to the pavement surface, creating trip hazards.
“This is a particularly serious issue for people using wheelchairs as well as those with young children in pushchairs as they may find themselves with no choice but to go onto the road in order to get past.
“Blind and partially sighted people could also be at risk of colliding with a parked vehicle if it is on the pavement.
“There are currently only certain circumstances where councils or the police can take action against people who park on pavements, for example, if there is a yellow line on the road or if the vehicle is deemed to be obstructing the pavement.
“Disability groups, the British Parking Association and councils have supported the Government’s recent consultation to help establish some consistency and better regulations and we are awaiting feedback.
“In the meantime we will do what we can, working with the police, to take action against irresponsible and inconsiderate parking and we would urge people to think of others when parking.”
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