A Harrogate woman who relies on her guide dog is calling for tougher action on pavement parking, warning that cars blocking pavements are putting people with sight loss at risk across the town.
Kim, 66, moved back to Harrogate after years living in Ireland, where she first partnered with a guide dog. Now with her current dog Jango, she says pavement parking has become one of the biggest barriers to getting around independently.
“Life with a guide dog has been life-changing — but moving back to Yorkshire has brought some unexpected challenges, especially around pavement parking,” Kim said.
“On most of the routes I use with my guide dog Jango, we regularly encounter cars parked on the pavement. More often than not, there’s not enough room to pass safely, and we’re forced to step into the road. These aren’t quiet side streets either — sometimes we’re talking about busy roads with fast-moving traffic.”
Kim says problem areas include busy residential streets near schools, where parents often park partly on the pavement during drop-off and pick-up times, and around Harrogate town centre, where delivery vehicles mount the kerb to unload.
She added that while North Yorkshire Police ran a small awareness campaign around six months ago — placing notices on windscreens — she has not seen any enforcement or follow-up.
“They put warning notes on windscreens telling drivers not to park on the pavement, but beyond that it seems there’s been no action or consequences,” she said.
Kim has so far avoided injury thanks to Jango’s training, but as she prepares to be matched with a new dog, she worries about navigating Harrogate’s pavements while building a new partnership.
Her plea comes as new research by Guide Dogs reveals councillors across Yorkshire and the rest of the UK overwhelmingly support stronger powers for local authorities to tackle pavement parking.
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74% of councillors back giving councils the ability to act
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81% say pavement parking creates safety risks for pedestrians in their area
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43% think current enforcement methods are too expensive
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Nearly half (48%) say they are too impractical to use
Currently, outside of London, there is no blanket ban on pavement parking. In Harrogate and across North Yorkshire, the police are responsible for enforcement — but campaigners argue that limited resources mean little action is taken.
The issue is not limited to people with vision impairments. National polling shows:
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83% of the public have been forced into the road by a pavement-blocking vehicle
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63% want pavement parking made illegal
Eleanor Briggs, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at Guide Dogs, said:
“Local leaders are clear: pavement parking is unsafe, the current system just isn’t working across most of the country, and a clear law is needed to make sure everyone can travel down their streets safely, particularly people with sight loss.”
The Department for Transport launched a consultation on options to tackle pavement parking back in 2020 — but the findings have still not been published. Campaigners in Harrogate and across North Yorkshire are urging the Government to act without further delay.
Kim hopes local people will think twice before mounting the pavement.
“For most drivers, it might just feel like a bit of extra space — but for me and people like me, it’s the difference between feeling safe and being forced into the road. That’s a choice nobody should have to face.”
For more information on Guide Dogs’ campaign to end pavement parking, click here
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