Those of you with an eagle eye will have noticed new markings that have appeared on the roads and pavements around the town probably indicating where the pay and display parking meters will be located when civil parking enforcement (CPE) is introduced later in the year.
East Sussex County Council (ESCC) have yet to publicly release the updated map showing the location of the parking meters. The pavement marking ‘M/C’ has appeared at a number of locations and roughly corresponds with the previously proposed locations for a parking meter, though a number of differences have been made that more closely align the scheme with recommendations made by the Rye Conservation Society (RCS).
Very few of the machines are now located up against historic buildings, but have been placed by the kerb instead. This was one of the primary recommendations made by the RCS, but this does mean that in some places they will add to the pavement clutter that pedestrians will need to weave around.
The total number of machines look to have have been reduced from the proposed 16 to around nine. From our analysis of the floor markings they will be located:
- In front of the Queen’s Head on the Landgate;
- At the top of Hilders Cliff where it joins the High Street;
- Outside Day Lewis pharmacy on the High Street;
- At the corner of East Street and Market Street;
- Outside the Waterworks on Tower Street;
- In front of Philips & Stubbs on Cinque Ports Street;
- Outside the Police Station on Cinque Ports Street;
- On The Strand near the Mermaid Street Cafe;
- At the corner of Wish Street and Cyprus Place.
The RCS have though still expressed their concerns regarding the location of a parking meter on the High Street outside Day Lewis pharmacy. ‘The machine on the High Street is probably of greatest concern as it is both cast-adrift from the nearest lamp post and is on a relatively narrow section of pavement immediately opposite the George and its scaffolding.’ say the RCS. ‘This will add clutter to an already pressured section of pavement. This machine seems particularly ill-advised given the on-going debate about social distancing on the High Street and how to achieve this.’
Additional road markings opposite the library on the High Street indicate where new parking bays for blue badge holders will be located while road markings on Tower Street seem to indicate that new parking bays will be introduced, replacing the double yellow line.
ESCC have still to confirm when the parking controls will be introduced but it is our understanding that it will be operational by the end of 2020.
Image Credits: Kevin McCarthy .
It seems like corporate insanity to consider cluttering the pavements with large, imoveable machines that are, effectively, death traps since they will force people to break the one metre plus social distancing rules whilst avoiding them. For ESCC to press ahead with plans to wilfully block pavements with these machines whilst Covid 19 is still rife (and is neither treatable nor is there a vaccine) is little short of criminal.
All A-board signs should also be removed, with no exceptions, whilst a deadly disease walks our streets.
I totally agree with Andy Stuart’s comments he has made.
And as he and his wife Nicki have been helping so much for the community to keep people safe. He should be listened to.