A few weeks ago I voiced an opinion on electric cars and their associated problems, and in that article, commented that I had contacted our ESCC councillor to ask not only about a proposed scheme to install charging points but also enquired when the promised review of the civil parking enforcement (CPE) scheme was to take place.
To date - and sadly, somewhat predictably - I have received no answer from Councillor Keith Glazier, however there has been a partial success in jogging someone's memory, as most Rye households should now have received a card from the county council inviting them to take part in a survey on parking.
So far so good, so let's see what questions they are asking. And on accessing the survey my first thought was of the explanation, in his own inimitable way, by Sir Humphrey in the TV series Yes Minister on how one could always get the answer one wanted by the way the questions were asked.
The survey appears to be conducted by an outside agency, who will not necessarily know anything about Rye or the town's specific circumstances, and we are asked to access it by typing in a web address so long that one almost loses the will to live by the time the address is complete (we have included a link, above, to save you wearing out your fingers). In fairness, I should mention that there is also a QR code for those who have the required app on their phone.
The survey is a digital one and although a paper copy is advertised for those who do not have access to the internet, this can only be obtained by a request via email, which, of course requires access to the internet, thus already ruling out a proportion of potential replies.
Having finally arrived at the survey page, we are asked to register, giving our name, email, gender and age. At last we then get to the questions: question 1 asks who we are - resident, visitor, commuter etc. Question 2 is how often do we come into the town centre and question 3 asks what means of transport (if any) we use. Question 4 simply asks if we have any further comments. And that is it. The same information could probably have been obtained in a five minute phone call to the town hall.
The survey specifically states that it is only concerned with the town centre and is not interested in comments on the cost of parking.
It is impossible to tell whether this is the promised review or whether it is designed to be just part of the review. I can see how answers to the questions might be useful but it is noteworthy that it leaves out three areas that caused considerable discussion by Rye Town Council before it withdrew its support for CPE prior to its implementation:
- cost of parking
- time allowed
- where do vehicles now displaced from the town centre park?
The cost, in fact, is not unreasonable, the time allowed to park has certainly caused problems for some of those who live and work in the CPE controlled zone, but the big one that was flagged by the town council on several occasions and has been totally ignored by ESCC both in planning and implementation of CPE, is what happens to vehicles that no longer can, or for cost reasons do not want to, park in the centre?
The answer, of course is that they simply go to the periphery of the town and clog up roads there. The parking problem hasn't been solved, just moved on. This was predicted but at the time all the town got from Councillor Glazier was a promise to review "in a year" (and we are well over that, now - and no, councillor, Covid is not a valid excuse) and a complete lack of interest of what might happen in the meantime.
It is time for Councillor Glazier to explain - through Rye News, if he wishes - exactly what he proposes to do to remove the problems caused by CPE, which are causing an extreme nuisance in roads outside the centre. It is no good ignoring the questions we ask, councillor, it is time we heard from you. We know you are a busy man as leader of ESCC, but your constituents didn't vote for you to become leader, they voted for you to represent them. They, and their interests, should come first. The excuse that you once gave to me, following a Rye Town Council meeting that, as leader you have many more important things crossing your desk, is simply not acceptable.
