[Editor's note: The return of the bikers after the lockdown has prompted a lot of comments and, as often happens with many other "issues", the call goes up for the town council "to do something".
However, town and parish councils are right at the bottom of the local authority ladder with very limited powers to do anything, so Rye News asked Rye's town clerk to explain "who is responsible for what "]
As a general rule anything to do with the fabric of roads, pavements and footpaths is the responsibility of the relevant highways authority (East Sussex County Council [for most roads] or Highways England [for the A259 and other major roads]). East Sussex County Council is responsible also for social services and education.
Among other duties, Rother District Council (RDC) is responsible for environmental health and housing. Environmental Health has been tasked with ensuring that retail businesses and takeaways are following the government’s social distancing and Covid-19 control measures and in Rye, most of the recreational areas (like the Salts) and facilities are provided by Rother.
Sussex Police is responsible for ensuring drivers and riders adhere to speed limits and that their vehicles / machines are "road legal". Until civil parking enforcement (CPE) is introduced (probably October 2020), Sussex Police is also responsible for on-street parking violations. Thereafter, responsibility will pass to the county council.
Access to the area on the Strand Quay frequented by bikers is permitted or, more accurately, not discouraged, by the Environment Agency (part of DEFRA, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).
Rye Town Council cuts the verges in Rye that are owned by the county council and provides a town steward service to supplement the public domain work undertaken by the county and district councils. It also provides a general and visitor information service from the town hall – currently by email, phone, post and messaging only.
The only statutory duty the town council has is to provide allotments if six or more parishioners demand that they be provided. The town council sub-lets the Freda Gardham playing field to Rye Rugby Club, owns the skatepark, the heritage centre (now leased to a charity) and two residential properties – one of which is let at a discounted rent to a household with a strong local connection with Rye.
Rye Town Council has no powers to temporarily close roads, enforce social distancing, require Rother to fully open the public conveniences - nor mark 2m spacing on pavements.
[Editor's Footnote: The town council also has a planning committee which can comment on proposals to RDC which is the planning authority, who must take into account Rye's recently agreed neighbourhood plan when making decisions]
