The police should stop bad parking

Katey Bourne, the Sussex Police Crime Commissioner was a guest speaker at the Brede Annual Assembly, held two days before the Observer headlining Rye’s ‘Muppet Show’ was at the newsagents. I took the opportunity to question her in relation to parking problems within the parish of Brede.

As a parish councillor I am regularly approached by residents complaining about vehicles parked on the pavement, not two wheels on the kerb but all four wheels on the pavement, completely obstructing pedestrians who then have to walk in the road to get past. When this occurs on the A28 and Udimore Road, both of which are heavily trafficked, this represents a serious risk to life and limb.

Sussex Police have a Police and Crime Plan 2013/2017 which has four priorities. Priority 3 states ‘The Commissioner understands the importance that the residents of Sussex place on road safety, particularly anti-social driving, speeding and parking’.

The Sussex Police website poses various questions, one of which is – Can I park on the pavement? The answer given reads – Parking a vehicle on the pavement can cause danger/nuisance for pedestrians and wheelchair users (it could also add mothers with children and buggies, and blind people). It could lead to an offence of obstruction being committed and a fixed penalty notice could be issued.

I asked why Sussex Police were not taking action to prevent people obstructing pavements in Brede, her answer was quite revealing. As reported in your paper Rother is a District where parking has not been moved over to the local authority, consequently if the Police were to issue a penalty notice the fine would go to the Treasury and the Police would receive none of it. But if the local authority were to issue a penalty they would receive the financial benefit.

It appears that it is nothing to do with public safety, or achieving the PCC’s Priority 3. It is all about where the money goes.

Cllr Rod Came

Bresde