From the Highway Code:
244
You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.
...where "MUST NOT" is a legal requirement and "SHOULD NOT" is advisory. So it is illegal to park on the pavement in Lodon, but you are asked nicely not to do so elsewhere. There is one exception! The Exeter City Act (1987) has also made it illegal to park on the pavement.
I don't know why some people are saying the Highway Code has no legal basis. It does if it says "MUST". As in, you MUST stop at a Stop sign or you're guilty of an offence.
Please also see this website which supports the above:
http://www.confused.c...atch-out-for-new-laws
Also, a quote from the DfT website:
“in some narrow residential roads with a lack of off-street parking provision, drivers have little option but to park on the pavement to avoid causing traffic hazards… The Government has no plans at present to introduce new legislation specifically aimed at banning pavement parking on a national scale“.