More than two years ago in November 2014, Rye News drew attention to the risks posed by illegally parked vehicles obstructing the emergency services from reaching an incident scene. These concerns were repeated and amplified at public meetings this year on March 2 and March 3 2016. In response to our open letter to the Police and Crime Commissioner, published in Rye News on November 3, I was contacted by Sgt Dave Townsend of Hastings and Rother Neighbourhood Policing Team, Sussex Police. We met last Wednesday November 30 at the police station in Cinque Ports Street.
I asked him what support the police can provide to uphold traffic regulations and illegal parking in the town. He responded by referring to Operation Police Crackdown which enables members of the public to report incidents of speeding and antisocial driving. This was having some positive impact. He would check whether the reporting of anti-social parking could be brought within the ambit of this reporting scheme.
He stated firmly however that “the emphasis is now on Rother District Council to explore civil parking. There is a problem in Rye, but we see it as a responsibility for the local community to solve. The police simply do not have the resources to administer this.
“When I first started in Rye, there were eight beat officers here, but today we have fewer officers and work as a neighbourhood team with Hastings and Rother with a different set of policing priorities. In today’s environment, keeping people safe is paramount. People may think there’s not a lot going on in Rye, but there is an underside that most residents do not see. We have issues with drugs and other criminality, which must take preference.”
With regard to possible initiatives to ease the traffic chaos in the town, Sgt Townsend said: “Various alternatives were suggested at the public meeting attended by the Police and Crime Commissioner last year on March 3 2016. The concept of decriminalisation would require investment in renewing road markings and installing pay-points, and the police offered at that meeting to provide manpower resource for the initial period to realise the scheme. The town council set up an exploratory working group, but we are not aware what progress has been made. Rother is one of only 17 districts in the country that has not adopted civil parking enforcement.
“There are 134 timed spaces in Rye and 845 car park spaces provided by 11 car parks. The issue is that people prefer to drive into the centre and not walk up the hill or from Gibbet’s Marsh car park, say, which is a bare three minutes from the Strand. Basically, we do not have and cannot commit resources for enforcing parking regulations. If the residents and traders in the town could be persuaded to free up the available timed spaces, then incoming shoppers and visitors would not be so desperate to leave their vehicles where they cause obstruction.”
In conclusion, Sgt Townsend confirmed his view that addressing the traffic problems in Rye was the responsibility of the whole community.
Photo: Rye News Library
The safe passage of emergency vehicles through bends (e.g.. tops of Hilder’s Cliff, East Street and Lion Street) and at junctions (e.g.. High Street-Market Road) can only be guaranteed by red line no-parking-whatsoever prohibition, understood by everyone (variously hatched double yellows are indecipherable to most blue badge holders).
It is up to East Sussex Highways to make these red markings legal or at least acceptable. I suggest the Town Council initiate this process by painting red lines themselves. Civilised negotiation does not work as was made clear with the Dead Man’s Lane situation, argued over for years, solved instantly when a citizen erected his own one-way sign.
Why the reference from the police to ‘installing pay points’? Nothing needs to change in the way of road markings or paying. It’s very simple. Someone, the police or a traffic warden, need to enforce the free timed bays and the double yellows. Confusing any attempt to widen places where parking is to be paid for with enforcement is a total red herring but, regrettably, indicative of current thinking. No-one really gives a stuff unless there is money to be made. Assuming Rother can decriminalise, Rye TC should just employ a full time warden. And if that costs, so be it, the precept will go up.
Rye Town Council’s Highways Forum has been concerned about this problem for a long time. We hoped that some form of enforcement would eventually be introduced but while there is none, illegal and antisocial parking will continue.
Polite reminders may help. In particular in recent months there has been a spate of permanently parked-up builders’ vans outside properties being renovated. While everyone accepts that these have to load and unload, and a small number carry essential tools, it does seem unnecessary for three or more vans to block our streets (indeed on one project there were up to eight at a time). It would help if householders undertaking renovations could write parking restrictions into their contracts.
However there is a small number of residents who persistently park illegally knowing that there is no enforcement despite requests that they park elsewhere; after all, season tickets in our main car parks are not exorbitant. Perhaps they should be named and shamed?
Lastly everyone is aware that many of the road markings are worn to the point of being invisible. The East Sussex County Council website has a reporting system to flag problems and Rye residents should notify every issue.
This is a massive problem here in Rye.
Rother DC passing the buck to Sussex police, and the police not enforcing it. There policy is, and i am quoting here, “We take action if a vehicle is causing obstruction likely to endanger life” I know the police have a busy time, and are always under pressure. But i wish they could understand how tough this selfish and illegal parking makes peoples lives here. Its dangerous, and frustrating, especially to those who pay a monthly sum to park there car legally.
So unfortunately i fear it will take a serious incident before any action is taken.
RS