Council fumblessafety issue

RYE Town Council made a mockery of the Highways Forum it was instrumental in setting up this week when the council nodded through an amendment that dilutes an important plan to improve pedestrian safety in Lion Street.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Nov 2013, 04:45 BST

An amendment by Cllr Eve was approved following minimal debate with seven councillors absent from the Chamber.

The amendment allows other vehicles to use the proposed new loading bay in the High Street between 6pm and 7am.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It totally ignores a key recommendation by the Highways Forum that if the bay was to be affective and properly enforced it should be strictly for unloading only.

The decision was met with disbelief in the public gallery and rightly so.

As one member of the forum pointed out - what happens when someone leaves their vehicle in the bay all night and it is still there when delivery vans arrive. The answer - which should have been clear to councillors, is that the van will park on the pavement in Lion Street to unload and create a dangerous hazard.

The council’s decision sends a clear message to people that it is more concerned about parking spaces and appeasing local businesses than it is about the safety and well-being of residents and visitors.