'˜Dangerous' Rye bollard will be replaced after falls

Bollard that's at an angle, High Street, Rye. SUS-170803-173024001

The metal bollard on High Street was installed to stop people parking on the pavement but was knocked over ‘months ago’.

Many people have since fallen victim to it, according to a Rye councillor, including one woman who suffered a nasty gash on her arm after tripping over it last month.

“It was quite horrific at the time but I’m grateful I didn’t break my arm,” the 67-year-old woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said.

A woman suffered a nasty gash to her arm after tripping over a bollard on High Street in Rye SUS-170803-173116001

“Anyone else who did it though, maybe an older person, would’ve definitely broken something.”

East Sussex Highways says it first received a report about the bollard on February 23, and it was put straight on February 28.

But Rye Town Council member and former mayor Bernardine Fiddimore said the authority knew for months and is dismayed by the time it took for the bollard to be fixed.

“East Sussex County Council has known for a long time that the bollard was in a dangerous state but have not yet acted to repair it,” she said before the bollard was restored.

The bollard has a planning notice on. SUS-170803-173041001

“Rye’s streets are in a parlous state and incidents like this seem to be becoming commonplace.”

Cllr Fiddimore says she spoke to nurses at Rye Hospital who said they have treated ‘large numbers’ of people injured by the bollard.

“Clearly a result of illegal parking, the bollard is just one of the hazards facing pedestrians daily in Ryes deteriorating streets and parents,” she added.

A highways spokesman said: “A new bollard will be installed in the next few weeks.

“While we regularly check roads and pavements across the county, we would ask anyone who spots any highways issue which needs addressing to report it to us via our website at www.eastsussexhighways.com or by calling 0345 6080193.”

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