An upcoming Labour policy will leave families, homeowners and tenants all worse off argues Luke Chillingsworth.
New parking space restrictions are being brought in (Image: Getty)
Keir Starmerclaims to love driving – it’s always been in his blood, so he says. His first car was a Morris Minor that cost £125 and growing up “getting a car was the single most important thing” in his life.
So you’d think he might have an iota of sympathy for drivers. Maybe we’d get the odd policy that benefits the UK’s car industry. No such luck.
And Labour’s latest brainwave shows just how detached our Prime Minisiter and his top team are from the day-to-day lives of the average British family.
New rules will force councils to impose sweeping parking restrictions limiting the number of spaces on new housing developments.
The aim, as ever, will be to reduce car use. Jump on a bus. Walk. Just don’t you dare think about driving.
Pavement parking is a nuisance, but where will families park without any bays? (Image: Getty)
As rule changes go, this has got to be one of the most ridiculous and simultaneously devastating ideas for motorists across the country.
Countless modern houses on newly-built estates have small driveways suitable only for one car. So what happens when mum, dad and their two or three grown-up children all have cars at the same time? Because, guess what, in real life many, many families need multiple cars. Then factor in spaces for friends and extended family, and it’s a recipe for disaster.
Of course that’s not all. At the same time, Labour has handed local councils the power to crack down on pavement parking to keep footpaths clear. No parking spaces but no parking on pavements either.
Perhaps Stuck In Gear Keir wants us all to just drive around constantly only stopping to fill up with petrol. A novel way to boost the economy.
Drivers breaking pavement parking rules in London and Scotland typically pay around £100 in fines, and these could be rolled out nationally.
Special occasions such as family barbecues, England World Cup matches and even Christmas could now become prime revenue collecting opportunities for local councils.
More motorists could soon be fined for parking on pavements (Image: Getty)
Conservative MP Richard Holden explained the risks perfectly when he said: “Labour have ripped up the rulebook that protected families from parking misery and replaced it with a green light for councils to squeeze drivers.”
A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government denied this and said: “This claim is nonsense. We understand how important it is for motorists to have enough parking options, and they will continue to do so under the changes.”
Pavement parking poses a problem for vulnerable pedestrians, who are at risk of injury if forced to step onto the road. It’s a pain for parents with pushchairs. But the way around this issue is clear. Let’s build more free-to-use communal car parks on housing estates.
Motorists are unlikely to leave their cars hanging off kerbs if a free car park is just a few minutes’ walk away, leaving paths clear for everyone to enjoy. Stuff these bays full of electric car charging ports, and it could even encourage motorists to make the transition to EVs themselves before being pushed.
