With East Sussex seeing three times as many potholes as normal for this time of year, Rye is not immune to what has become a perennial problem for road users.
A casual stroll around town reveals several very deep potholes on the infamous Deadmans Lane and extensive pitting on East Street and Lion Street — including close to the Town Hall. Perhaps the worst road overall is St Margarets Terrace off the Strand. The part of this road adjoining the A259 opposite the terraced houses features an entirely uneven surface of mud, tarmac and dark gravel. It appears likely this surface has suffered pummelling from numerous heavy goods vehicles which use the road to access Jempson's Slade Yard lorry storage area.
The condition of this road is presumably also of great concern to the residents who have moved into Martello Developments' luxury riverside block of apartments on Rock Channel Quay.
It is unclear whether St Margarets Terrace is an unadopted road, although the road sign does not indicate this to be the case.
Neighbouring Kent's pothole numbers are said to be five times greater than usual, according to a media report, which blamed the hot summer, a cold snap several weeks ago and heavy rain for the problem. East Sussex Highways (ESH), which should be praised for the fine job it did resurfacing Rye High Street, certainly has a challenge dealing with this year's pothole plethora.
Local residents worried about potholes should log onto ESH's pothole-reporting webpage to inform the council of the location and size of the pothole. If the hole needs to be fixed in an emergency, phone 0345 60 80 193.
