Quick roll out of Bexhill’s parking changes

Rother Council’s Civil Parking Enforcement Scheme materialised in Rotherfield Avenue, Bexhill, on Monday June 15th almost like a thief in the night.

As I went for the paper at 8am I saw a plant vehicle at the top of the road with the engine running and on the way back, noticed - from the top of the steps - yellow notices placed quite high up indicating that lining would be taking place and asking for the roadway to bre kept clear.

A few hours later most of the environment had been defaced with very bright double yellow lines that are particularly glaring and unnecessary the further up the avenue you go.

We have off street parking but many of our neighbours don’t. This county wide initiative has gone ahead despite significant objections from all quarters and generally makes little sense either in theory or in practise. It has been initiated and driven by individuals who don’t appear to reside anywhere near the areas on which it has been imposed.

It’s a cash cow scheme for which the projected profits and running costs do not seem to have been made available and in the case of Rother Avenue, is much more likely to be a detriment rather than an advantage, except to those collecting the money. In broader terms there couldn’t be a better argument for Bexhill having it’s own council, shamefully denied against a massive vote in favour with same impunity demonstrated within the parking “consultation”. Rother went to great lengths transferring statutory responsibility from the police service to be able to charge or levy fines. I suspect the police may remain involved though, if only to resolve disputes. A key question might be, would a Bexhill Town Council have the will and determination to overturn any of Rother’s many [often irrational ] previous decisions? Seaside towns were well known to be struggling economically even before the lockdown. Too much interference with the “carrot” of free parking on the sea front, could destroy Bexhill’s major incentive for visiting at all.

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