Parking on pavements and verges

Parking on pavements or verges can cause damage and force pedestrians to walk in the road.

Vehicles parking on pavements

It is an offence to drive on a pavement, other than across a dropped kerb access.

It is an offence to park a vehicle on a pavement if:

• there are waiting restrictions (yellow lines) on the road, as these also apply to the pavement
• the vehicle weighs in excess of 7.5 tonnes, or
• there is a signed restriction that prohibits parking on the pavement.

West Suffolk Council is responsible for enforcement in its own areas. Enforcement in Babergh and Mid Suffolk is managed jointly by Ipswich Borough and West Suffolk Councils. The enforcement areas can be seen on Suffolk County Council's parking enforcement map

To report a vehicle parking on a pavement or a grass verge where there are waiting restrictions in place, please contact the council: Report street parking infringement

Vehicles parked on a pavement may cause an obstruction and force pedestrians into the carriageway. If there are no waiting restrictions the police may act where they consider that a parked vehicle is causing an obstruction, forcing pedestrians to enter the carriageway. The police are unlikely to act if there is a minimum of 1.2metres of clear pavement for pedestrians. The police can be contacted through the Suffolk Police website.

Vehicles parking on the grass verge

It is an offence to park a vehicle on a grass verge if:

• there are waiting restrictions (yellow lines) on the road, as these also apply to the verge
• the vehicle weighs in excess of 7.5 tonnes, or
• it is specifically signed that parking on the verge is prohibited.

Unless there is a significant safety concern, Suffolk County Council ;no longer install bollards or other planting schemes for the sole purpose of preventing verge parking because of the initial cost of such provision and the ongoing maintenance costs.

West Suffolk Council is responsible for enforcement in its own areas. Enforcement in Babergh and Mid Suffolk is managed jointly by Ipswich Borough and West Suffolk Councils. The enforcement areas can be seen on Suffolk County Council parking enforcement map

To report a vehicle parking on a pavement or a grass verge where there are waiting restrictions in place, please contact the relevant council. Report street parking infringement

You can report extensive damage to highway verges resulting in a considerable level difference between the footway edge and the verge which you think is a significant safety issue by using Suffolk County Council's Highways Reporting Tool