Local Lib Dem campaigner Philip Mills pressing Council on decisive action against dangerous pavement parking offences

Local Lib Dem campaigner Philip Mills attended September Birmingham City Council meeting to ask a public question, pressing for decisive action ensuring effective enforcement of the pavement parking offences. In his public question, he raised the following urgent points:

"Dangerous parking, including on pavements and junctions, is a danger to pedestrians, particularly those with sight loss, wheelchair users and parents with prams, forcing them into the road or preventing them from getting about safely. When it is reported to the Police, they direct people to the Council, and the Council directs them to the Police.

In December 2024 a scrutiny report into road safety made 16 recommendations to cabinet members, including completing the parking enforcement service review and re-introducing the annual parking report, which hasn't been published since 2019. These recommendations were due for completion in March 2025 but are still outstanding.  

When will the Council take responsibility and ensure effective enforcement of pavement parking?"

Philip's question was later followed by speeches of Lib Dem councillors Colin Green (Sheldon) and Izzy Knowles BEM (Moseley), who presented Lib Dem Road Safety Motion, calling for urgently needed actions, in order to make our roads safer. In the context of the current Road Safety Emergency, unsurprisingly, the motion was met with overwhelming support, and was adopted. Majority of councillors welcomed the Lib Dem decisive initiative, which stood in a stark contrast to years of Labour inaction.