Before you submit an enforcement request
You can tell us if someone is parking where they shouldn't. Before you report a parking issue please note the following things –
- The Council has limited staff and resources and so we are unable to attend every request. All requests are considered carefully and, where possible, we will send a civil enforcement officer to investigate and determine if any action can be taken.
- We may not be able to attend on the day the problem is reported due to staffing constraints
- We can only enforce parking where there are signs and/or lines in place, for example a double yellow line, or a parking bay (except in the case of dropped kerbs – please see below if this is what you want to report).
- All resident permits are now virtual, meaning that vehicles with valid permits may not display a physical permit in the vehicle. Please do not report a vehicle for parking without unless you are sure they do not have a virtual permit.
- If there are no lines, signs, or a dropped kerb in place you must direct your enquiry to Merseyside Police.
- If you want to request that new parking restrictions are put in place you must direct your query to the Traffic Management section by emailing them at traffic.management@sefton.gov.uk.
- Abandoned vehicles must be reported to the Merseyside Police
- Parking Services can only deal with vehicles on the road – if you wish to report a trailer, caravan, or other non-vehicular obstruction on the highway you must direct it to the Network Management section.
Parking enforcement near to schools
We are aware that parking near to schools can be very problematic and must be a priority for our enforcement patrols. Due to the high demand on our services and the limited resources available, we rotate patrols during school drop off and pick up hours to ensure that we are regularly able to attend all schools in the borough that require enforcement. While we will consider any reports made about problematic school parking we may not be able to attend a specific school straight away.
Dropped kerbs
In certain circumstances, the Council has the authority to issue a penalty charge notice to a vehicle parking next to a part of the highway that has been lowered to meet the level of the road, more commonly known as a dropped kerb. There are two types of dropped kerb –
Dropped kerbs that are used by pedestrians to cross the road
These are used predominantly by pedestrians with mobility issues, those with sight impairment and those pushing prams and pushchairs, so it is important to keep them clear. Some of these dropped kerbs are furnished with a tactile surface to alert people with sight issues to their presence.
This type of dropped kerb is routinely enforcement by civil enforcement officers during their patrols.
Dropped kerbs outside driveways allowing vehicle access to houses
Obstructing these dropped kerbs cause inconvenience either to the owner of the property who cannot obtain access to or from their property or those requiring level access across the road.
These types of dropped kerbs are only enforced in response to a request from the property owner. We will also only issue a penalty charge notice to a vehicle if at least one wheel is parked next to the dropped kerb – we cannot issue a penalty if only the bumper of the vehicle is next to the dropped kerb, or if the vehicle is parked on the opposite side of the road to the dropped kerb.
If you have a dropped kerb that allows access to the property you live in and a vehicle is parked with at least one wheel next to it then please report it and we can arrange for an enforcement visit where deployment levels allow.