East Sussex County Council (ESCC) has advertised under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 "The East Sussex (U6433 Deadmans Lane, Rye) (Temporary Prohibition of Traffic) Order 2019".
And, before you switch off, this leads me to consider that next Monday's special Rye Town Council meeting (September 16) needs to look very closely indeed at ESCC's proposals for CPE (Civil Parking Enforcement with traffic wardens and parking meters and permits) in the town.
Why you ask? Well ESCC's attention to detail seems rather careless on occasion (to put it politely).
For example, BT wants to dig up Deadmans Lane for phone cabling work which requires a Temporary Road Closure Order (TRCO) from September 16 for 18 months - though the work is actually expected to be done in three days - and the Order is ESCC's responsibility as it covers highways other than major roads.
Now Deadmans Lane is one way only for traffic from Rye Hill to the junction of The Grove and Love Lane, and some people use it to reach the schools in Love Lane.
But others use it as a short cut to avoid the one way systems in the Landgate, and from the Fishmarket Road junction with New Road round South Undercliff to Strand Quay.
And the short cut enables the drivers concerned to either turn left at the end of Rope Walk in order to get into the High Street one way and the hilltop parts of the old town, or turn right along Cinque Ports Street towards Ferry Road, Tilling Green and Udimore.
However the notice of the Order then goes on to provide "an alternative route for through traffic southbound via The Grove, Rope Walk etc etc, but what "through traffic" as Deadmans Lane will be closed to through traffic.
ESCC's notice then gets worse as "northbound through traffic" is sent via Playden, Peasmarsh, Four Oaks, Beckley, Horns Cross, Broad Oak and Udimore in order to arrive back at Ferry Road and onwards to The Grove.
Quite possibly ESCC will claim BT gave them this information, but I would expect ESCC (as they are responsible for roads as a highways authority and no doubt have maps galore) to at least check before publishing what is their order - as I was expected to check papers when I worked in Whitehall for nearly 20 years.
I therefore suggest that the town council, councillors and business reps have no choice but to thoroughly check everything ESCC is proposing for Rye as at least they have local knowledge - and can pinpoint possible ESCC carelessness in our historic town with its many "one ways" - like Deadmans Lane !
