Your letters - September 10, 2010

Signs for road closure 'lamentable'

Living in Udimore Road and listening to the concerns of residents I can only heartily support the article on the front page of last week's Rye Observer 'Sewer Collapse Causes Chaos'.

Chaos is putting it mildly. The team that worked really hard to identify and rectify the situation cannot be faulted, although ESCC appears to be blaming them for the length of time the job has taken.

Supervision by East Sussex County Council, which is responsible for the B2089 was, for the most part conspicuous by its absence. ESCC's lack of knowledge of the area is more than demonstrated by its conviction that the B2089 is more than adequate for two HGV's to pass with 'plenty of room'

The repair team that worked really hard to identify, excavate and rectify the situation cannot be faulted, although it appears, from ESCC, that the fault is Southern Water's, who did not ensure the repair was sufficiently resourced. Rye suffers while ESCC and Southern Water play pass the parcel.

While the collapse of underground services cannot be helped, it is no co-incidence that with the advent of more and more heavily laden HGV's following the placing of signs indicating that the B2089 as a trunk relief road the sewer collapsed on the bend where the weight, often over 40 tonnes, is not distributed evenly. When questioned the reason for the signage ESCC abrogated all responsibility as being "out of their hands".

Diversion signage was lamentable. Good signage would have alleviated some of the problems. Those not knowing the area following the diversion reached the Brede Broad Oak crossroads and there was absolutely no indication of where to go, other than straight on.

Nor was there any indication that Udimore Road and Tilling Green were accessible. Dumb Woman's Lane and Float Lane were totally chaotic and here again no indication that parts of Rye were accessible.

The apparent inability to control some motorists from by-passing the road works by driving over pavements and the grassed area in front of Badger Gate was also a cause of some concern

Trade in Rye and visitor numbers suffered on what should be a most profitable Bank Holiday of the year, and again, while the sewer collapse couldn't be helped, the manner in which it was handled could.

The last Government wanted more consultation and the new Government is emphasising this, so pursuing this end the villages along the B2089 and Rye, with support from our MP, Amber Rudd, are uniting to insist on a weight restriction on this small country road before a catastrophic accident.

Cllr S H SOUSTER

Rye Town Hall

Lorries not to blame for sewer collapse

I sympathise with anyone living close to a noisy, busy, main road (or noisy neighbour for that matter) in this overcrowded island of ours. However, there is a general misconception that 'overloaded' lorries are always to blame and it is they which have caused the sewer to collapse in Rye, issuing forth odorous pongs from Rye residents' very own detritus! (Rye Observer 3/9/10)

Since the 1930s all of Britain's classified roads have been designed and repaired to accept heavy lorries - even 'exceptional' (super heavy) loads.

The criterion was a maximum of 15 cwt (3/4 ton) per inch of tyre width; this is higher than today's permitted lorry axle loads and use of balloon tyres. The road substrate is also designed to dissipate loads evenly.

Subterranean sewer pipes are also encased in concrete to relieve loads on the pipe.

A typical lorry exerts between 35-120 lbs per square inch (psi) through its tyre's footprint; a 15 stone cyclist exerts 35 psi, while a lady's stiletto heel some 140 psi. At each increase in maximum vehicle weight imposed on Britain by the EU, our roads, bridges and culverts have been gradually reinforced, over a period of time, beyond that new limit, but where such work is deemed 'socially sensitive' or impracticable, weight or width restrictions are imposed. Likewise, new lorry and trailer designs have wider balloon tyres and multiple axles to dissipate loads, reduce shocks and road noise.

The Udimore-Vinehall ridgeway is one of our oldest ridgeways open to all traffic. Geologically, it is on very firm foundations (more so than the shingle roads across the Marsh), but this area is traversed by several natural geological fault lines and we are subject to natural, usually imperceptible, subterranean movements which cause fissures as well as fractures to pipelines. Much worse is that our local clay suffers major movements, 'subsidence ', due to drying out from our ever lower water-table as a direct result of Britain's exploding population drawing off, and wasting, ever more precious water. Unlike 'global warming' our ever higher water consumption is truly man (and woman!) made.

The problem of damage to roads, its substrate and sewers is thus rarely due to those perceived 'heavily over-laden lorries' but more often to subterranean movements due to mankind's demand for water from its over-enthusiastic nocturnal pleasure-seeking! So please don't blame all our ills on the lorries delivering the very goods that you have chosen to buy!

Barry M Jones

Bixley Lane, Beckley

Detailed report needed on road closure

Following the dbcle of the collapsed sewer, we would urge Rye Town Council to obtain from Southern Water a detailed report on the causes of the collapse, on the procedures they followed for repair, and how likely a similar event might be in the future. The large building site off the Udimore Road will increase the weight and volume of trucks and transporters using the road, putting further at risk what is clearly a flawed or damaged infrastructure.

Southern Water should also be asked to provide the town council with detailed plans of how this infrastructure is expected to deal with sewage from the 130+ new houses and how the run-off water from the roofs and roads will be channelled and contained to safeguard Tilling Green from flooding.

The week-long closure has highlighted the difficulties of traffic flow and diversions in Ferry Road/Udimore Road. The town needs dialogue with East Sussex County Council about Highways' own inadequate response to the incident and about alternative solutions that might have made life easier for the residents of Tillingham and Udimore Road.

Further discussion is also essential to establish safety criteria for whichever supermarket wins the battle to build on the former Lower School site with its entrance/exit by the level-crossing and the fire station. None of us in Rye have much confidence in Highway decisions taken faraway in Lewes, seemingly unmonitored by either our district or county councillors.

The governance of our town continues to be haphazard and inadequate and with little regard for the opinions of her citizens. As for future building and development, last week's problems emphasise yet again the urgent need for Rye's own overall planning, a detailed audit of infrastructure and a vision for the town's future.

Rosemary Boucherat; Mike Eve; John Howlett; Freddie Lees; Christopher Strangeways;

Dr. Keith Taylor

Advisory Group, Campaign for a

Democratic Rye.

Lack of imagination from Highways

Perhaps a bit of imagination by the highly paid silent geniuses at East Sussex Highways might have saved a lot of the problems.

For example: Dumb Woman's Lane and Float Lane being designated one way each way would have been a good start!

Also why did the repair job take so long?

David Andrews

Udimore Road, Rye.

Beautiful Battle? Not when it comes to young

WHEN we first came to settle in Battle, we thought that being in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty extended to its people.

However, the gang of youths constantly congregating in the Market Square area, soon pulled us back to solid earth.

Finally, seven years later, the idleness of teenagers with nothing but booze on their minds, has exploded in violence that shocked the many decent, elderly and peace-loving residents here.

Many of Battle's residents can claim to have fought for their country during WWII or endured hardships by working in foreign lands. Now in their twilight years, having scraped enough to retire in this little market town, they face another invasion - the rowdy yobs with their football, fighting and filthy language that make even a little trip to their local supermarket completely unsafe.

Market Square is owned by Budgens/Jempsons supermarket but even they could not put a stop to the band of youths congregating at their doorstep - breaking their glass windows and pilfering their stock.

Where are the parents of these kids? Has anyone noticed how young the girls are that hang around these gangs?

If they are allowed to get off with a light slappy-wristy sentence, we can be sure that they will be bolder next time. They know the laws of the land are soft. They feel immortal.

Two German tourists and a coach driver witnessed the attack. What kind of picture have these kids painted of Battle to them? Will they go home and tell their friends to visit Battle because it is such a peaceful, lovely town? Not likely.

The police are playing down this incident - but many of us have suffered sleepless nights traumatised by what we saw. Perhaps it's time for residents of Battle to come together to find a solution for themselves.

Joan C

Market Square, Battle

Well done to Rye Fruit and Veg Show

I would like to thank Helena Hudd and the committee of Rye Allotments Association for all their hard work in preparing and running this event.

There was such a lovely, friendly atmosphere and the entries, (apart from my own!), of such a high standard. WI cakes as well! I also liked the way that they involved children from an early age in the poster designs and competitions.

Thank you for your organisational skills, commitment and enthusiasm.

Cllr Mary Smith

Rye Town Council.