Ealing Council bolsters powers to tackle dangerously parked e-bikes
Ealing Council has strengthened its enforcement powers against dangerously and obstructively parked e-bikes, granting officers new authority to remove them from streets and pavements.
The Council's full meeting on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, approved a new policy that allows officers to use additional powers under Section 149 of the Highways Act 1980 to tackle the growing problem of e-bikes obstructing public spaces. This move comes in response to an increase in resident complaints about e-bikes creating hazards and making streets inaccessible, particularly for disabled residents, older people, and parents with prams.
Councillor Dominic Moffitt, Cabinet Member for Climate Action, moved the report, highlighting the importance of e-bikes for sustainable transport while acknowledging the need to address the parking issues they create. He stated that the new policy aims to ensure that roads and pavements remain clear, safe, and accessible for all. He also encouraged councillors to help Ealing Council address mis-parked bikes by continuing to report bikes to the 'Love Clean Streets' app, making sure to reference the registration number, as this allows for enforcement action.
Councillor Louise Brett, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Safe and Genuinely Affordable Homes, supported the report, emphasizing that the new measures are about ensuring safe and accessible streets for everyone. She noted that while e-bikes are a popular and important part of Ealing's transport network, their inappropriate parking has become a significant concern for residents.
Defining 'Dangerously' and 'Obstructively' Parked
The E-bike Enforcement Policy defines a 'mis-parked' bike as 'any permitted dockless e-bike left on an adopted highway and not within a parking bay, or any non-permitted dockless e-bike left on an adopted highway; and which is causing an obstruction under section 137 of the Highways Act 1980'.
Furthermore, under Section 149(2) of the Highways Act 1980, an e-bike can be removed if an authorised officer has reasonable grounds to consider that it constitutes a danger to users of the highway and ought to be removed without delay. The criteria for assessing whether these conditions are met will be detailed within the new E-bike Enforcement Policy.
Addressing Concerns and Implementation Timeline
The strengthened policy includes the introduction of a charging schedule for cost recovery from operators, ensuring that the costs associated with storing and removing obstructive e-bikes are met by the operators themselves. This is not intended as a punitive measure but as a way to ensure accountability. While a specific per-bike cost cannot yet be fixed due to unknown volumes, collection times, and contractor costs, these will be recorded during a pilot of the new policy and reviewed. Actual costs would be estimated before any cost recovery charge is set.
Councillor Gary Busuttil, speaking for the Liberal Democrats, supported the new policy but expressed concern about the delay in its implementation. He noted that e-bikes have been operating in the borough since 2017, with an enforcement policy only introduced in February 2026 on a six-month trial basis, during which no Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were issued, which he described as a 'failure or non-existent'. The report indicates that if approved, the new policy would be taken to the council's General Purposes Committee for further approval. The current policy was approved by Cabinet in February 2026 and was due for review in August 2026.
Councillor Sean Hanrahan, for the Conservatives, supported sensible action but questioned the effectiveness of enforcement without adequate infrastructure and planning. He highlighted that despite the policy's introduction in February, no fixed penalty notices had been issued, and questioned the plan for specific problem areas like Ealing Broadway Station.
Infrastructure and Reporting
In response to concerns about infrastructure, the council has been implementing a network of marked bays to improve parking compliance. The long-term plan is to cease using virtual bays and exclusively use marked bays, with approximately 300 locations planned across the borough. The continued expansion of these designated parking bays, following consultation with residents and ward councillors, is intended to support active travel and responsible parking. Councillor Malcolm's amendment proposed a review process for the sighting and size of parking bays when residents complain, suggesting their locations could be reviewed and relocated if necessary.
Residents can report obstructive e-bike parking via the 'Love Clean Streets' app, referencing the registration number to enable enforcement action. The council has noted a significant rise in resident complaints concerning e-bikes being left on footways and other parts of the highway in a manner that obstructs or interferes with lawful use.
Broader London Context
The report also touches upon wider efforts to regulate micromobility across London. The council, Transport for London (TfL), and other London boroughs are collaborating on a pan-London contract to manage and regulate all micromobility, including e-bikes and e-scooters. The primary legislation supporting this is the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, with secondary regulations anticipated to allow transport authorities to license e-bike operators. TfL is expected to detail the specifics of the licensing agreement by summer 2027 at the earliest, with each London borough currently managing its own agreements with operators.
The report was carried, with the new policy set to be implemented to address the ongoing challenges posed by e-bike parking in the borough. For more details, refer to the Public reports pack.