On 4 Jun 2014 at 10:23pm Confused wrote:
I've just read the Bills thread and can't work out what it is people are complaining about. It started off with seating in the road, then moved to seating on the pavement and then chlidren running in front of cars. Can someone explain what they want out of these four options:
A. Cafes to remove all seats from the roadway, but seats on the pavement are fine.
B. Cafes to remove some seats so that not all the pavemnet is covered.
C. Cafes to remove all seats from the pavement. No seats allowed outside cafes at all.
D. Cliffe high street to go back to being a conventional road.
On 5 Jun 2014 at 12:50am local bod wrote:
I'm not surprised you are confused, you have taken something clear and simple, and made it confusing. People simply want to be able to use a public pavement and/or road unhindered, without having bits of a cafe situated on it. There is a narrow strip of pavement right along Bills frontage which seems to belong to Bills,and if so , would be entitled to use. The rest is public pavement. From memory the part round the Argos side may be part of a road and pavement shared with the properties down that lane, and not part of the public highway.
On 5 Jun 2014 at 6:06am Confused wrote:
Local bod, that wasn't what the original post was about - it was someone complaining that weren't able to collect goods easily from Argos BY CAR as Bills had to move chairs out of the road.
You can apply for a licence for a 'pavement cafe' which enables you to put chairs and tables on the public pavement. Details are on the council website. This is common practice across much of the country now, not just in Lewes.
There was a thread on this very topic on this forum a few years ago, when, apparently, there was a notice tied to a lamppost ouside the cafe in question saying that they had applied for this very licence.
Check it out here »
On 5 Jun 2014 at 8:01am upset wrote:
I am 'the original post'; I was unable to drive down the public road adjacent to Bills in order to access the Argos car park. Chairs were on the road, as were waiters both of which had to be reluctantly and grumpily moved.
The essential issue is simple: DANGER - I could have easily hit a wriggly child.
Also I was really embarrassed in front of a disapproving audience.
Really it's simple - it is most unwise to place punters, chairs and waiters in a well used road.
I am going to check with highways today as to whether their enforcement officer has visited yet. Also I anticipate Merlin's report back. Argos is aware that the situation has an adverse effect on their business. I shall certainly think twice if I am considering buying any thing heavy from the store in the future!
On 5 Jun 2014 at 2:54pm Easily Confused wrote:
Confused, you have confused the issue by obviously not reading the posts properly & for some reason have decided to go over again.
So just for your benefit here goes....
Bills Tables & Chairs were previously on the pavement. Now they are half on the pavement & half on the road.
The 'half on the road' part is causing an issue which has been clearly highlighted.
Still confused?..........
On 5 Jun 2014 at 5:35pm Still Confused wrote:
"The 'half on the road' part is causing an issue which has been clearly highlighted."
if that is true why did the second poster say:
"There is a narrow strip of pavement right along Bills frontage which seems to belong to Bills,and if so , would be entitled to use. The rest is public pavement"
He clearly thinks it's the tables on the pavement that are the problem. Just moving them off the road won't make him happy.
Clearly people just talk past each other on this forum...
On 5 Jun 2014 at 5:43pm local bod wrote:
Um, Confused, I simply read the posts, some of which relate to exactly what Upset has confirmed is their concern and others, which build on that issue but relate to the pavement/Cliffe High St side. Both are issues of shared space, beyond the property owned by Bills. Many of us find the sitation baffling, and it would be nice if once and for all we could find out who can, or can't use what. The matter is very straight forward, despite ESCC's peculiar and unconvincing explanations, which are now quite rightly being challenged. I am curious, do you have some kind of connection with Bills?
On 5 Jun 2014 at 5:48pm local bod wrote:
before someone gets even more confused, that should say:
…some of which relate exactly to what 'Upset' has confirmed is their own concern, but also additional concerns which build on 'Upset's issue, but relate to…
On 6 Jun 2014 at 12:17am Henry wrote:
What pisses me off more is the twat that parks on the pavement right next to 'Le Magasins' barriers most mornings, why the hell can't he park a couple of metres further away or not at all on the pavement!!?
He's the guy in the 'please look at me' hat who sits out front.
On 6 Jun 2014 at 4:36am Cat in the hat wrote:
Haha. I've seen him, his hat and his car. You are right, a prize tosser!
On 6 Jun 2014 at 12:42pm Confused wrote:
I have no connection with Bills.
I like the outside seating which particularly in the summer gives cliffe a great atmosphere.
I do think they should move their seats out of the road area, but I think it would be a sad day if it was even more restricted.
On 6 Jun 2014 at 1:18pm Earl of Lewes wrote:
The man with the hat sounds typical of a certain type in Lewes. To be honest, when I walk around the streets, half of the people I see look like tossers. One day, I saw a particularly stupid-looking man gawping at me, open-mouthed. I felt like saying "What are you looking at?" Then I realised that I was looking at my own reflection in a shop window. That taught me a lesson.
On 6 Jun 2014 at 1:25pm Thing one wrote:
Yup. I too love the relaxed continental air that outdoor seating, pedestrianised areas, no cars and planted areas give us. Let hope more of the town is laid this way.
On 6 Jun 2014 at 8:01pm Herald the Vertical wrote:
Bills Cafe could do with a hydraulic system fitted on their outside tables & chairs to unable them to rise when a car wants to pass.
This simple solution should make everyone happy.. even the Confused.
On 7 Jun 2014 at 8:12am Harold the Horizontal wrote:
If one must buy Argos` tat - surely one could avail ones`self of their large item delivery service . If an Argos watch was on the Want List , it could be worn and displayed @ the cafe , in competition with the Prat in the Hat . The car could be left in Cliffe car park . Less pollution , more £ into the local economy , and more bling glittering like the sunlight on the Ouse as it passes Harveys.
On 7 Jun 2014 at 10:54am lewes wrote:
I just think that argos shouldnt even be there in the first place. It should be on an industrial estate somewhere else as its is encouraging traffic down a shared use precinct. Bills is encouraging tourism in lewes which is a great thing. Argos should move out and sell their car park to the john harvey tavern which would make the best pub garden in lewes backing onto the river. It would be lovely and would mean less traffic and therefore potential for danger between cars and pedestrians would be reduced!
On 7 Jun 2014 at 7:15pm Belladonna wrote:
Thing one - what planted areas ? There are none along Cliffe High st - although it would be a good way of slowing down existing traffic (much of which is taxis cutting through).
On 7 Jun 2014 at 9:15pm Sussex Jim wrote:
If Argos were to move, their building would be ideally suited to become a Wetherspoons pub- complete with a yard at the back for deliveries. Bill's customers could "share" the road with the dray lorries.
On 9 Jun 2014 at 9:03am Dorset Dave wrote:
Sussex Jim , I like the cut of your jib . You remind me of an old Forester . All the best, mettey.
On 9 Jun 2014 at 12:45pm Happy Shopper wrote:
Actually Harold, there is no such thing as an Argos watch as they don't make the stuff they sell. Admittedly some of the stuff they sell could be classed as tat, but they also sell a lot of decent branded stuff a lot cheaper than other shops.
On 9 Jun 2014 at 1:15pm Town Flyer wrote:
'Bills is encouraging tourism' really? I don't think so. It used to be good but is now just an overpriced watered-down version of what it once was. People sit on the pavement not because it is Bills, just because we like that sort of continental cafe feel.
On 9 Jun 2014 at 3:56pm belladonna wrote:
Maybe Argos could move out and if the Depot cinema is turned down they could move in there.
On 9 Jun 2014 at 4:10pm upset wrote:
Highways have confirmed that it is an unadopted private road. They shared the concern about danger but it is not obviously in their remit to do anything.
Apparently the road is owned by the freeholder of Argus who have leased it to Argos. Harveys have right of way over it and contribute to upkeep and maintenance; Bill's may have a similar duty.
so the plot thickens! Just make sure you don't have an accident driving along there!! and me, I just won't be buying anything heavy to carry, from Argos.
On 10 Jun 2014 at 9:27am Town Resident wrote:
Yes, this is what we were told some time ago, which of course makes it quite mysterious that ESCC should claim that an officer (who has now left) could have given permission for what is occurring in an unadopted highway. Just because the Highway is unadopted, does not mean ESCC can do nothing.
There is a junction affected by this mess, and part of it is a public highway. This problem is creating risk on that part of the junction and there are legal obligations associated with this arrangement. There are also public liability insurance issues, where Bill's is putting customers ar increased risk by plonking them in an access road. maybe someone would like to ask Bill's who their insurers are?
On 10 Jun 2014 at 11:46am TROOPER. wrote:
I have posted before asking the question as to why given the very hostile postings on this forum, that the Management of "Bills" does not appear to want to defend its actions. However I can only assume that as it is only a part of a large portfolio of property it matters not that the locals are causing a fuss.
I can only assume that nothing will be done until(God forbid) there is an accident.
On 10 Jun 2014 at 3:57pm Earl of De Montfort wrote:
Bill's does as Bill's wants. I think Bill's think that the pedestrianisation of Cliffe was entirely for their benefit, the way they litter the pavement with their chairs and tables. Yes it gives a nice continental air but a sinister underbelly is only a scratch, or run over Tarquin away.
On 10 Jun 2014 at 9:10pm Harold wrote:
Thankyou Happy Shopper - I stand corrected , I shall bear it in mind as I sup my coffee from Costa . Good to see you support your local small retailer too via the Happy Shopper moniker.
On 10 Jun 2014 at 9:31pm Horseman7 wrote:
I was walking down there from the precinct towards South Street at about 14:15 today. A black car was attempting to enter the Argos car park but was impeded by someone (a waiter?) standing in the side road and apparently serving at one of the tables. I moved out from the Cliffe Bridge pavement into the pedestrian friendly cobbled road to bypass the black car's rear end. At this point a big grey car came haring over the bridge, slammed his brakes on and gave me some free ancestry advice. The black car then gave up the struggle and reversed towards me, rather too swiftly for my liking, whereupon I made it on to the comparative safety of Harvey's pavement. When I returned from my errand some 10 minutes later, rather shakily, the big grey car was parked on the pavement outside Bill's, leaving about 6" between the vehicle and the tables. The black car had gone. I suspect the latter's driver hadn't noticed me at all. The former's driver most certainly had.
On 10 Jun 2014 at 9:48pm upset wrote:
Horseman7, I salute you.
On 10 Jun 2014 at 10:01pm Horseman7 wrote:
I fear I have maligned an innocent grey car. In no way did the vehicle itself swear at me. The driver was another matter.
On 12 Jun 2014 at 1:54pm Earl of De Montfort wrote:
Was the big grey (silver) car a Mercedes estate? If so, most likely Bill's himself