A potential ban on parking on pavements could make it easier for pedestrians to get past cars obstructing them on Norwich’s Victorian streets.
But a city councillor has warned the government must back up any such move with money - to solve problems such a ban might bring.
The government is due to consult on proposals over a possible ban this summer.
The consultation will include options such as allowing councils with civil parking enforcement powers to crack down on unnecessary obstruction of the pavement. Outside London, only police have that power.
It will also consider how a nationwide ban on pavement parking enforced by councils might work, allowing for exceptions or designated spots for pavement parking where needed.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: 'Vehicles parked on the pavement can cause very real difficulties for many pedestrians. That's why I am taking action to make pavements safer and I will be launching a consultation to find a long-term solution for this complex issue.'
Denise Carlo, Green Party city councillor, whose Nelson ward takes in a number of terraced streets in the Golden Triangle, said: 'Parking on pavements causes major safety problems for pedestrians, especially if they are parents with pushchairs and people with disabilities, as it can force people into the highway.
'It is a large bone of contention in Victorian terrace areas which were not designed for cars.
'However, the government must put money into solving the problem because a ban would have to be accompanied by extra measures where pavements and roads are very narrow.
'In some cases, restricting vehicles to parking on one side of the street in order to free up the footpath on the other side may be all that is required, but achieving this would cost money.
'In streets where space is restricted, more imaginative solutions would be necessary for redesigning the street layout.'
Nicholas Lyes, RAC head of roads policy, approved of the plans to punish selfish parkers but pointed out 'outlawing pavement parking as a whole is more complex because not all streets in the UK are the same.
'Therefore better guidance and a definition of what is and isn't appropriate would be a more practical solution, rather than an outright ban.'
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