Southampton residents have been left reeling after receiving letters from the city council threatening them with fines of up to £1,000 for parking on their own driveways—if they cross a non-dropped kerb to do so.
The warning comes as Labour-run Southampton City Council steps up enforcement of the 1980 Highways Act, citing concerns over potential damage to public footpaths. Residents across the city have reported receiving official notices, some of which warn that “unlawfully crossing the kerbed footway… could lead to damage of the public highway.”
The crackdown has sparked a furious reaction from locals and opposition councillors, who say the council is being “unnecessarily heavy-handed”—particularly given the authority’s own financial woes. Earlier this year, the council was forced to apply for emergency government assistance after revealing a £39 million budget shortfall for 2024-25.
One of the first to raise the alarm was a disabled elderly woman who, after 40 years of living in a council house and parking on her own drive, received a warning letter. “She was terrified,” said a neighbour. “She’s told her carers not to park on the drive, but that means she can’t get out to do her shopping or anything because she can’t walk.”
The issue was raised in a recent council meeting by Conservative councillor John Baillie, who accused the council of targeting vulnerable residents. Responding to the criticism, Labour’s cabinet member for transport, Cllr Christie Lambert, said: “You can’t have a go at us for not enforcing things and then have a go at us for enforcing things. It is our right to enforce the legislation.”
Under section 184 of the Highways Act 1980, the highway authority has the power to serve notice to anyone illegally driving over a footpath to access a building. The council says the rule is necessary because “footways are not generally constructed to hold the weight of vehicle traffic,” and that fines are intended to deter offenders and cover the cost of repairs where evidence of damage exists.
Despite the strong wording of the recent letters, Southampton City Council has never previously fined residents for parking on their own drives. In an official statement, the council insisted: “This is not a new process for Southampton.”
