Motorists in part of London have been given warnings for parking their car on their own driveway, with drivers breaking a lesser-known law. Whilst most drivers are aware of the many ways they could be fined for parking on the street, few would imagine they were breaking the law when leaving their vehicle on their own land. However, a spokesperson for Lambeth Council highlighted that motorists who park their car on a driveway that does not have an authorised vehicle crossover can be fined for illegally crossing the pavement.
They explained: “It is illegal to drive a vehicle over the pavement without having an authorised vehicle crossover. This requires a resident to make an application, gain approval and pay for the works to adapt the highway to enable safe access.”
With 34 percent of UK households featuring two or more cars in 2022, an increase of 26 percent in 50 years, many drivers have converted their front garden into a driveway to store their vehicle.
However, to legally cross the pavement, and therefore park their car outside their home, residents of Streatham Vale in Lambeth have been told they need to get an authorised vehicle crossover, which requires permission from their local council.
However, this can be a particularly expensive process, with each application costing £4,000 – around twice as much as it would cost to install a vehicle crossover.
In a public engagement made in December 2024, Lambeth Council highlighted that the new measure would also help to improve air quality, encouraging residents to use other forms of transportation.
They added: “Our approved Kerbside Strategy has the commitment to make 25 percent of our kerbside sustainable by 2030. Transport emissions are responsible for nearly 25 percent of carbon emissions in Lambeth, despite that 60 percent of households in Lambeth do not own a car.
“The proposed changes would allow reasonable kerbside access for local residents who own a car and drive, and better support our many residents who do not own a car and who travel by walking, wheeling or public transport.”
