Bikers could be banned from Strand Quay in Rye as part of a review into how the riverside is used. The Environment Agency (EA) is exploring excluding motorbikes from the quayside, along with the possibility of using the land to raise revenue, which could include car parking.
December’s Rye Town Council meeting discussed a request from the Environment Agency for the town hall view on the idea.
The councillors had opposing views on a biker ban but were united in the opinion that Strand Quay should be kept open for the use of residents and visitors.
£3.6 million has been spent on repairs to Strand Quay in recent years, including the installation of a new floating pontoon. Recently laid tarmac is now pitted with indents caused by the motorbikes and is expected to be replaced.
“We should stand up for the bikers,” said Councillor Bookless, remembering his first visit to Rye was on a motorbike. “They bring trade to our town and a lot of interest.”
His views were echoed by Councillor Breeds who said, “The bikers bring a lot to our town.”
“There’s a need to accommodate the bikers somewhere,” said Deputy Mayor Chris Hoggart. “During the work on the quayside they parked outside the Heritage Centre which was far from ideal.”
“We need a compromise,” said Councillor Rodgers, who suggested the other side of the river as a solution.
“Strand Quay should be used for the enjoyment of the people of Rye,” said Councillor Hansen. “We should find somewhere for them.”
Councillor Boyd wasn’t convinced. “The bikers are noisy, screeching along the road in the summer. I have never seen a biker elsewhere in the town.”
A vote on supporting the Environment Agency’s idea to exclude motorbikes from Strand Quay, which has yet to be formally submitted, was passed by six votes to three, with two abstentions. The same motion also urged the EA to resist using the area for car parking, saying the quayside should be preserved for pedestrians.
Image Credits: Rye News Library , James Stewart .
Banning the bikers which many town councillors are against will not solve the problem of bikers who wish to visit our town,and have every right too.When Rye town council take over the Salts areas,the middle Salts used a couple of times a year for visiting funfair,and once for the bonfire celebrations,is a perfect location for the bikers to park,and enjoy the town,like other visitors do, invest in some matting and type one aggregate, instead of this area getting torn up, after funfair and bonfire night, off course the Nay Sayers will be up in arms,using it as an additional carpark, but hang on its used by the bowls club for parking,so what is the difference in using this area for all, and not the minority .
How on earth can you be a council member and abstain on such an emotive subject, what are you doing serving if you’re going to sit on the fence?
As for making it a car park, will the bikes be banned from that too?
Disappointing Rye again……..
Stop the bikers altogether – no big loss. Rye commerce will continue to thrive as tourism prevails. More importantly, those living in the vicinity of the A259 – most of us in the community and district for miles around – will sleep better during the fairweather summertime months. Noisy motorbikes are enjoyed by selfish sods!!
Typifying the mind set of failure. If you don’t like it, ban it. Don’t try and find a solution that includes everybody, just demonize those you don’t like, and BAN them.
Not so long ago this attitude would be deemed as utterly selfish.
Absolutely right, they’re noisy, (and a good motorbike shouldn’t be noisy), and many of them just drive aimlessly round and round and round. I have spoken to several businesses in Rye away from the Strand area, and not one said their trade was increased by the bikers. Snacks and chips etc will probably see increased sales. I also recall watching a family with a pushchair and a child about seven years old trying to cross the road near Strand Quay. They actually waited for 12 minutes, but the constant unnecessary procession of motorbikes never stopped, and eventually they just walked away.
Well said Steve! What was really noticeable about the EA works was the respite it gave all of us from the incessant motorbike noise, especially in summer. In my view it doesn’t matter where you offer parking for bikers they will still make just as much of a racket entering and leaving the town. The answer lies in realistic motorcycle noise regulations (which I’ve explained before in these pages) and their enforcement (NB there is no real problem with exhaust modifications as some believe – the bikes are quite legally noisy enough anyway). However, all of this takes time, effort and money and as Central Governments have always seen us as circa 5,000 insignificant straw sucking yokels in a corner of the countryside I doubt if anything will change. Finally, it’s a misnomer that Bikers bring wealth to Rye, a bag of fish and chips and a cup of tea is the most they will splash out on!
Bikers are a minority. The ‘selfish sods’ mentioned above, are an even smaller minority. Those are the bikers who spoil it for the presence of the majority.
Last summer I sat in the inevitable traffic jam travelling out of Hastings on the A21, when the bikers were leaving after their annual jamboree in the town. Hundreds went steadily past, 99% were riding sensibly, the idiots weren’t.
Proves the point I think.
I’m afraid I agree with Steve.
I honestly don’t see why we have to give special parking privileges to motor bike riders here in Rye, they have no respect for our community, non of them seem to have silencers on their exhausts and the noise they create as they come up or down Udimore road en mass is in my opinion anyway, unacceptable, you can hear it clearly in the farm fields at the very back of Valley Park and it’s very disruptive, why do we need to spend vital funds on accommodating these people and encouraging them to come here, we are not short of tourists in Rye let’s face it, I have to say it’s a mystery to me.
Leave the bikers alone! They are a decent crowd.
I echo Metryn, the vast majority are perfectly decent. Banning them from Rye will not stop the noisy ones on the surrounding roads as they will still travel somewhere. As usual, instead of tackling the problem, just ban anyone enjoying themselves. Who decides on the “sort” we want in Rye?
The bikes didn’t damage the asphalt before the “improvements” to the quay, rubbish asphalt, crap job .. sue the conractor.
I came to Rye in summer 2025. I came by car, and honestly I don’t know why I bothered. Rye has always been up itself as a tourist attraction even when I was a youngster. As a biker in my 70s I believe that most of the bikers that may decide to stop in Rye would possibly be tourists from the continent who bring money to the flagging seaside resorts of this country as a whole. The South coast of England is deliberately pricing itself away from tourist interest with ridiculous parking charges and rules against who they want to visit. The small minority of bikers that have no respect for other road users and residents of Rye will still exist because the A259 exists. Stop the good ones coming and Rye will just be another of the South coast towns complaining about higher council taxes to compensate for the loss of generated income from tourism.
One of Rye’s traditions dating from the 1960’s is the sound of the arrival & sight of the bikers congregating at Strand Quay. They chat about their bikes which are an investment and point of pride to the owners, they buy refreshments from local shops and enjoy talking to Ryers. I would avoid damning an entire group without knowing a single person there, unkindness is unnecessary. In addition, I love the sound of the more traditional motor bikes – a reminder of my youth!
A quiet day on Sundays in Rye. For many this is impossible. They drive dangerously as if on a race track. Constant noisy driving especially along Military road.
Is that fair?
One thing that is impossible is to ban bikers from this town,whatever one’s views,time to come up with an alternative to Strand Quay, which will be hard to achieve,the majority supports the Strand Quay parking, and its up to the police to address the problem of the minority who abuse the speed limits entering the town.
This is ludicrous, banning (or failing to provide for) a legitimate group of road users who are no more nor less responsible than car drivers. Can someone show us that cars pose a lesser threat or nuisance than motorbikes to pedestrians and cyclists?
I don’t see any clear justification for this, so I can only conclude it arises from a form of cultural bias. Four wheels good, two wheels bad – as George Orwell nearly said. Let’s celebrate diversity of personal transportation as Ryers do in so many other things.
I posed the same question on Facebook (Ryes Own News) and the support for the bikers is overwhelming.
Problem is it’s private land and not much anyone can do if the owners decide they don’t want them on there anymore.
I’m all for the bikes but if the owners insist on banning them then hopefully it’ll be something that benefits the town as a whole and not just another money making car park which will just line the owners pockets and add nothing to the town.
Tony,surely it’s public land, and run by a quango who are the custodians of the Strand Quay, as for blaming the motor bikes for the shoddy workmanship from the EA contractors, how long will this surface last with heavy vehicles on it.
Bring back the ,:PAGANS :; .
I for one would not like to see the motor bikes leave. Its too many cars that are the issue. The end.
The damage is because of the sun heat on the tarmac making it soft if you had cars turning on the tarmac in the heat would rip it up. It would be such a shame to take the bikes away from Rye Strand Quay I personally don’t ride bikes but come to Rye twice a year have to be honest. I personally enjoy seeing the bikes there. I’ve only ever seen them parked up there, never seen them going up and the down roads making unnecessary noise.
The Strand area in question is under the control of the Environment Agency and is an executive non-departmental body that is a part of DEFRA (from the government site). So, it isn’t private land, and the EA is answerable to a degree to the public.
Given the Strand has for many, many, years has been an area utilised for recreation by Ryers’ and visitors alike (including the regular meets of the Motorcyclists), it is paramount Rye Town Council protect it as such. Instead RTC by being suckered into voting against the periodic use of the land by the bikers, has given succour to the EA’s proposal to ban them from the site. They can now state that the voting public in Rye (courtesy of a RTC vote) agree with them.
Having read through Tony’s post and its comments it is indeed glaringly obvious support for the visiting bikers is overwhelming. Comments by some, stating that they have never seen a biker in town would suggest that they ought to attend a well-known high-street optician.
Banning bikes from parking at the Strand will not stop the fringe lunatic from screaming through Udimore and out across Romney Marsh via New Road. To them Rye is just a chicane on their way to the mortician’s slab. This tiny minority won’t be stopping for tea and a walk through Rye, unlike many of the bikers who do park at the Strand.
Shame on RTC for not thinking this one out.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. There used to be a noise limit for all motor vehicles, what’s happened to that? Also bikes could be encouraged to, if not already fitted, have larger pads on their kick stands to protect the tarmac.
Once again the emotive subject of Motorcyclists raises its ugly head, we get they are noisy and go at great speed around the town and are a nuisance. Have people not seen and heard the cars which come through Rye on a Sunday morning some make a noise much loader than the bikes but they do not stop. Not a word said about these as some of the cars have motorcycle engines and sound just like the hated bikes. I say let the Town be for all not just a select few.
We have had a great many positive responses to our request for photo’s of the Camiers Motorcycle shop in Ward Street. These were provided together with a large range of positive comments on the shop and on both Bert and Joan the owners, who were both held in high regard within the Rye business, social and council communities.
I would like to gauge the level of support within the local community for approaching Rye town council with a request that this support for both the motorcycle shop and Bert and Joan be marked in some way.
I would suggest that the town council be asked to approach the Environment Agency towards naming the area of the strand now used for general motorcycle parking as the ‘Camiers memorial motorcycle park’ (or something along similar lines) with the stated aim of maintaining this area in part as a motorcycle dedicated area in memory of Camiers motorcycle shop and both Berts and Joan dedication to the town of Rye.
Please feedback your thoughts for passing onto the council for consideration.
As a responsible motorcyclist, I’ve occasionally stopped on strand Quay & used the opportunity to sample the assorted delights of Rye town. On those occasions it’s been comforting to feel my machine is safe under the watchful eyes of other fellow bikers. I’m a pensioner, not a hooligan, & like the majority of our compatriots I know how to behave in a socially responsible way. My only concern is that if this facility is withdrawn, the bikes will still come, but will ride straight through..
The bikes are beautiful and most bikers come into town sensibly
To ban a whole group in society because of some ego trip of youngsters revving up seems unfair because latter will come through Rye weather parking here or not and be noisy.
I think Environment agency need to question the work done re the new tarmac instead of blaming others.
To have it as parking area for cars will make the 259 in that area even more blocked up because the cars parked on the stretch between the toilets and Simple Italian back entrance.
If any change please make it a more friendly family space which would certainly help the cafes in Strand quay. My question is: how many use the pontoon and the few who use it how many stay in Rye or park their boat to go to London
We did get a new boule pitch which is great but probably cost a pittance in comparison of the money used for the few boats.
While I am certain that motorcyclists who park along the Strand pay good money at cafés and other businesses in Rye, it can also not be denied that a great number of them roar into town along Military Road, New Road, New Winchelsea Road, and Udimore Road at speeds (and decibels) far beyond accepted limits.
Saturdays and Sundays, in good weather, approach intolerable—the noise of motorbikes wakes us well before 8 am.
I’ve no objection to motorcycles—but muffle your noise (especially roaring in from Appledore!) and pay for your parking. Everyone else does.
100% correct. The speeding, the roar, especially along Military Road right up to the junction with Rye Hill, is intolerable. No weekend lie-in, no enjoying the garden, the disturbance of the wildlife especially the birds in our trees. There’s no question that the bikers are the worst thing about living in Rye. And I’m fed-up with people saying “it’s just a few/minority” that destroy the peace.
How about allowing ELECTRIC motorbikes only? They don’t make noise.
As I understand the situation we need to lobby nine Rye town councillors to get the decision to ban bikers reopened. We therefore need to know which councillors are opposed to the ban.
The decision to withdraw the discretionary free parking rests with the EA, the council were merely asked to support the proposal-I really can’t see how anyone’s “banning” anybody. As one bike club leader told me – you can pretty much park a bike anywhere, so we will !”
I’m confused. I can’t see that anyone is suggesting we ban motorbikes. The EA are considering withdrawing the discretionary permission to use the quayside as a free bike park; Rye Town Council are asking Rother to put in a PSPO to deal with the minority, yet significant incidences of anti-social riding and inconsiderate parking in pedestrian areas. (Incidentally the last time this was considered in 2021 Rother did consult the public and will presumably do so again)
I can see that not having easy access to free parking will discourage many but this doesn’t constitute a ban does it ?
I assume these incidences of anti social riding and inconsiderate parking are recorded and properly documented? Where would we find these records?
It might seem beyond the imagination of a politician, but how about putting a more robust surface than tarmac?