Parking adjacent to a parking meter

Parking

Cars might be parked on a road, or on a pavement or verge illegally.

Yellow lines can prevent all types of parking - both on the road or on verges and pavements. Yellow lines can be expensive as there is a lengthy legal process before installation.

To prevent cars parking on pavements and verges, physical measures can be used. They cause an obstruction so cars are not able to pull onto pavements or verges.

Parking information
Parking deterrents
Bollards
Bollards parking deterrent
  • Can add to street clutter
  • Can look unsightly
  • May be frequently damaged
  • Risk to partially sighted people
  • Different designs may be available
  • Good deterrent
  • Easily installed
Placement:   2m - 2.5m (max)
Cross
Road
Tick
Pavement/Verge
Planters
Planters parking deterrent
  • Can be quickly installed or removed
  • Can be owned by the community, or sponsored by an organisation
  • Enhance the street scene, and 'greening'
  • Useful where obstructive parking is a persistent issue at busy locations
  • Require regular maintenance to remain looking attractive, or they may become unsightly
Placement:   2.5m apart (max)
Tick
Road
Tick
Pavement/Verge
"H" Bars
H bars parking deterrent
  • Only available at the request of the Police,
    or where there is a dropped kerb
  • Can be effective, because some motorists mistakenly think enforcement is possible
  • Cheap to install (no legal work required)
  • Sometimes used to protect a shared access
  • No enforcement action can be taken by the Council or Police
  • Not used for private access
Placement:    As necessary
Tick
Road
Cross
Pavement/Verge
Posts
Posts parking deterrent
  • Relatively cheap
  • Suitable for rural areas
  • Still allows easy access for pedestrians
    and cyclists
  • Easily damaged
  • Could be a maintenance liability
Placement:   2m apart (max)
Cross
Road
Tick
Pavement/Verge
Installing a kerb
Kerbing being installed by a road
  • Defining the edge of the road with a kerb can deter parking on the verge
  • Can help prevent deterioration of verges,
    by discouraging driving onto the verge
  • Do not usually require maintenance
  • Can be expensive
  • Could 'urbanise' an area
Placement:   continuous
Cross
Road
Tick
Pavement/Verge
Keep Clear markings
Keep Clear markings
  • Useful for keeping parts of the road clear of stationary vehicles
  • Normally effective at keeping junctions or accesses near to queuing traffic free of any vehicle obstruction
  • Not normally used over private accesses
  • No enforcement action can be taken by the Council or Police, as the markings are advisory only
Placement:    as necessary
Tick
Road
Cross
Pavement/Verge
Advisory Disabled Bays
Advisory Disabled Bay
  • Generally very well respected
  • No enforcement action can be taken, as
    the markings are advisory only
  • The blue badge holder must be the resident driver, with no other off road parking
  • For more information, or to apply for a disabled bay, click here
Placement:    when required
Tick
Road
Cross
Pavement/Verge
Parking restrictions
Taffic Regulation Orders:   The items below require a TRO, which can be a costly and time consuming process
Resident parking bays
Resident parking bay
  • Current policy has suspended this item
  • Very effective at preventing commuter parking in residential areas
  • A 'champion' is usually identified as the
    key contact for the scheme
  • At least 60% of households must agree to it
  • There are normally charges associated with resident parking bays (for parking permits)
  • Do not guarantee a parking space
  • Overcoming objections can be costly and time consuming
  • Introducing new restrictions can 'push' the problem elsewhere
Placement:    continuous
Tick
Road
Cross
Pavement/Verge
Limited waiting bays
Limited waiting bay
  • Can help to manage parking supply and demand in busy areas
  • The waiting bay permits parking for a certain period of time, which can be adjusted to suit the specific location
  • Sometimes accompanied by 'pay & display'
  • There are often objections and differences in opinion
  • Can 'push' the problem elsewhere
Placement:    continuous
Tick
Road
Cross
Pavement/Verge
Loading restrictions
Loading restriction blips
  • Very useful for preventing obstructions in larger settlements, or strategic routes
  • Prevent loading / unloading of vehicles, and also apply to blue badge holder parking
  • Possible to define only specific times of day
  • Recognised by yellow 'blips' on top of kerbs
  • Some businesses rely on loading
  • Can 'push' the problem elsewhere
Placement:    continuous
Tick
Road
Cross
Pavement/Verge
Pavement parking ban
Pavement parking ban sign
  • Enforceable with a fine
  • Still permits parking in the road
  • Pavement kept free for pavement users
Placement:   7m (parking signage)
Alternative Use:    Instead of placing many individual signs by pavements to ban pavement parking, entry and exit signs to an area can be used to display the ban.
  • Can be easily ignored by motorists
  • Requires enforcement patrol
  • May send the message it is 'okay' to park on other pavements in towns and cities
Cross
Road
Tick
Pavement/Verge
Yellow lines
Double yellow lines
  • Highly effective at preventing parking
  • Enforcement action can be taken by the Council and the Police
  • Can be contentious with residents, and could 'push' the issue elsewhere
  • May negatively impact rural area character
More info:
Placement:    continuous
Tick
Road
Cross
Pavement/Verge