East Sussex County Council are consulting on a new range of parking restrictions in Rye in a number of areas, and affected residents and businesses should have received a letter sent out on July 20 covering the consultation which started on July 22 and ends on August 12.
In some cases “No waiting” restrictions are proposed, while in others there may be limited or “Paid for” parking.
Rye Town Council will be discussing the proposals at a Zoom meeting at 6:30 pm on Monday, August 8.
Residents in The Grove and Love Lane have already described the proposals as “unnecessary and disruptive”, but some of the proposals may be welcomed in Military Road where there have been problems with parked cars.
Further details can be found at: consultation.eastsussex.gov.uk/economy-transport-environment/rother-informal-2021-22
The affected roads include:
- Harbour Road from the junction with the A259 to past the boatyard
- Military Road, New Military Road and the North Salts
- Landgate
- Parts of the High Street
- Bridge Place and Landgate Square
- Love Lane and The Grove
Rye Town Council has issued the following statement:
STATEMENT FROM RYE TOWN COUNCIL
To ensure your views on the County Council’s proposed on street parking changes in Rye are taken into account by the County Council you must contact its Parking Team directly: parking.escc@eastsussex.gov.uk giving the road and drawing number you are commenting on.
The drawings may be found here: https://consultation.eastsussex.gov.uk/economy-transport-environment/rother-informal-2021-22/
The Rye drawings may be found at the end of the ‘Rother Review Informal Drawings’ document and within the ‘Rye New C Zone’ document. (pp. 32/38)
Members of the Town Council will be considering its response to the proposals at a Zoom meeting on Monday 8 August, 6.30pm. If you wish to attend please email townhall@ryetowncouncil.gov.uk to request the joining link.
Councillors would appreciate seeing the views you intend to send to the County Council before their 8th August meeting so that they might think about them in advance. Please email your comments to: townhall@ryetowncouncil.gov.uk
Richard Farhall
Town Clerk
Image Credits: John Minter .
It is certainly true something needs to change in Military Road near the Globe. But these proposals only restrict traffic up to the tennis club, then there is a total free for all thereafter. Why the arbitrary stop?
People are stretched financially right now. I have no doubt that all those who park for free near the Globe will simply walk a little further and the problem will move further down the road. In fact that part of Military Road is not wide, cars parked on opposite sides would only leave room for a car down the middle, certainly not a bus or larger vehicle. The result will be parking as happens every fireworks night – blocking all the pavements, and still with cars meeting head on with nowhere to move.
The solution must be to put in double yellows on the house side of Military Road all the way to the last house, and some 4 hour parking bays on the tennis club side. With appropriate spaces for passing. Those that want to abandon their cars for free all day, to work in town or commute, or Air B&B users who are told to park for free in Military Road, can do so beyond the last house and walk in. Alternatively pay to use the numerous car parks in Rye, including Gibbets Marsh which is hardly used at all.
I’ve got an idea that would at least reduce the traffic problems in Rye. Why don’t we – I mean us locals – all start to walk more, and leave our ton and a half of steel, plastic and rare earth metals on the drive? We’d save money. We’d reduce pollution and stop contributing to the climate problem. We’d get stronger and healthier. The town would become a nicer place and we’d have time to think and just “be”. Of course there would still be visitors cars, and some local people are non ambulant and depend on their cars, but every single car left at home has a positive overall effect. We might even start to wonder whether the advertising people who convince us that we all need cars, and new ones at that, may be telling porky-pies!
The solution to all this is surely not to provide more parking spaces. We need to reduce our dependence on cars especially single use short journey. Rye is a small place everything is within walking distance!
Surely not everyone can walk..age disability. time. Weather ..all be considerations . We all live varied and nuanced lives .Those using a car may be driving those who are less able..or in need …
One size never fits all. there is not an average person or life as we all live unique lives.
Rye is quite small , but may be not so small if your living at the furthest boundary…
The proposals appear to address the problematic symptoms of the scheme, but not the cause. To simply push the parking out will not help as the demand will still be there and the problem will simply move. I suggest that Rye needs an overall transport strategy, not simply a tweaking of the parking controls and areas.
The comment that Rye is a small place and everything is within distance is true for those fit, able, and living in the town – but a large proportion of people in the town don’t live within walking distance…….
People should ask themselves why these new parking rules are necessary, because just like before, locals parked their cars for days on end in the high street,stopping others who wished to shop in that vicinity, there are plenty of carparks adjacent to the town,for these people to park their vehicles,at reasonable costs,much cheaper than most towns, and that is the way forward, for people who do not wish to walk far.
Could fairly local people say 5 miles from Rye be able to purchase – say £30 a year – a parking permit? Our local buses are too infrequent and stop too early to use.
Maybe a park and ride for the school holidays and weekends in summer months / special events eg bonfire night could be implemented, perhaps using school car parks. We have a population that has grown by about 15 million in the last 25 years combined with difficulties in going abroad following our response to covid and people who live in less desirable crowded places eg flats need some opportunities to relax and visit Camber and Rye etc
why can’t all people who work in RYe apply for this permit?
what about those who commute into every day? the trains don’t run regular enough ( when they aren’t cancelled) the bus connections are awful and slow. so I guess you either live and work in rye or are not welcome?
Well I suppose they could use the car parks instead of clogging up residential roads…
Peter, thank you for your reply. Many of the car parks do not allow all-day parking.
Also, you are going to push businesses out of Rye and then probably complain ” the high st is empty.”
I sympathise with those who live on military road but they bought a house with on-street parking only and the price would’ve reflected that.
What i think the residents of military rd may live to regret is the speeding control the parking allows. Once that road is clear people will drive much faster on it.
All day parking?
Station
Gibbet Marsh
Market; every day except Thursday
All reasonably priced, I think those cluttering the roads just don’t want to pay.
Regarding the proposed plans for Military Road. As Peter has said it will just push the parking problem up to the last 14 houses just past the tennis club. Most of these houses have an off street parking space . If cars start to park opposite it will be difficult to get in and out of our parking spaces. The road is narrow there. If cars park on one side there will only be room for one flow of car traffic at a time. It will be very difficult for lorries, rail replacement services and especially at the moment large tractors with loads to get up the road without bouncing onto limited pavement space.
We feel the yellow lines should carry on until the sign for Rye just before Playden House.
Yvonne, you could include my drive on your list. Someone parked on my drive and went off for a three hour walk only returning to move their car after the police contacted them. No doubt it would have been there all day if they had not been advised that it could be towed away.