RESIDENTS in Breightmet have been asked to think twice before parking their cars after reports of vehicles blocking pavements.

Police have visited addresses and spoken to occupants about the issue which has caused problems to pedestrians, including wheelchair users, passing roads such as Toronto Street.

Surrounding roads such as Garstang Avenue and Crompton Avenue have been affected too.

Breightmet councillor Adele Warren says officers have dropped off more than 60 letters to properties.

The Bolton News:

Toronto Street in Breightmet. Picture: Google Maps

Cllr Warren, who contacted the neighbourhood policing team about the problem, says it is a "balancing act" between providing parking for residents and making it safe for pedestrians.

She said: "Car ownership has increased over the years and rather than one household having one car, some now have two, three or four.

"It is quite a growing issue and some residents would like grass to be ripped out for parking but that is really expensive to do and it is not always possible to do due to the surface underneath.

"Residents would not accept permit parking too as they would not think it is acceptable to have to pay to park their car outside their own home.

"It is an ongoing issue all over the borough and nationally.

"It is a concern if you are a wheelchair user. If cars are parked on the pavement it can stop wheelchair users accessing the kerbs.

"Police have engaged and spoken to people. Some cars have been parked over the whole of a pavement.

"There has been quite an impact on bin collections too as lorries have not been able to access areas due to their not being enough space to turn around in."

With many forced to work from home during the pandemic, there has been an increase in reports of pavement parking.

Cllr Warren said: "During the lockdown there have been more people parking at home and there have been more complaints regarding access.

"It is also really difficult as we do not have great public transport so people are going to use their cars. It is a balancing act and there are a number of issues and we are trying to find a way forward for everyone."

In March, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced parking on pavements could be banned.

The Government is consulting on whether to give councils more power to tackle the problem.

Parking on pavements is banned in London but elsewhere it is only prohibited for lorries.

People who park in a dangerous position or cause an unnecessary obstruction can be fined, and a mixture of criminal and civil sanctions are available to police and councils to enforce restrictions on pavement parking.

The announcement was in response to a report by the House of Commons' Transport Select Committee in September last year which called for a blanket nationwide ban on the "blight" of parking on pavements. Witnesses told MPs that the worst cases of pavement parking were effectively trapping disabled, elderly and vulnerable people, making them "afraid to leave their homes".