The introduction of parking restrictions along the High Street and other roads in the centre of Rye has led to a number of knock-on effects.
While Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) came into operation on Tuesday September 29, Rye News has been led to believe that there will be a grace period and that fines will not be issued until Monday, October 12 onwards. In the meantime, cars parked without paying are being issued with warning notices (see picture below).
With the introduction of CPE, miraculously a number of Rye’s streets became clear of parked cars and freed up parking spaces. East Street, Landgate, Tower Street, Cyprus Place and Market Road were all eerily quiet during the day. (See photos in the gallery below).
We are hearing reports that all is not good for residents on Military Road and Love Lane. Residents on both have said they have seen an increased number of cars parked along their roads and a number of people have called for a residents parking scheme like those in operation on Watchbell Street and Bridge Place.
In other areas, such as Rock Channel, signs have appeared warning motorists not to park (see photo below) and we have heard of handwritten signs being placed on parked cars, in one case we believe that lipstick was used on the window of a parked car to get their message across.
The resident’s parking permit zones seem to be settling down, but Rye News has heard that some residents within the citadel zone, centred on Watchbell Street, have been refused a resident's parking permit. East Sussex County Council (ESCC), the authority overseeing the new parking regime, have said they are limiting the number of permits in this zone to 50 and introducing a waiting list.
A further concern has been the dangerous placing of some of the new signs. Rye News has been informed of one incident where a resident walked into a new sign that jutted out into the pavement at head height and needed stitches in her head as a result. It is our understanding that this, along with other snagging and improvement issues, have been compiled by the Conservation Society and shared with the Town Clerk, who is leading on the liaison with ESCC.
While it’s still early days, the new scheme does seem to be doing what it set out to do by freeing up parking spaces to allow people to visit Rye and park close to the High Street for a short period of time. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest there has been a welcome reduction in anti-social and illegal parking with fewer cars blocking pavements, especially on West Street, and fewer cars parking illegally on double yellow lines in and around Church Square.
ESCC has said it will be reviewing the parking scheme after it has been operational for a while. The details and timing of the review have yet to be announced but if readers have comments, issues, and suggestions (within reason) Rye News is the place to air them.
