Been away from Rye for three weeks and came back expecting to see some real progress at Strand Quay.
I was disappointed, could not see much difference. Took a photo at 10:30 on August 14, not a soul in sight.
Has the Environment Agency gone bust?
It is a shame we have to put up with this long standing eyesore because very little is now being done.
Well it started as a £500k project, has now passed the £3,500k mark, and with serious repairs to be made to the piling on the East side don’t be surprised if the final figure is close to £4 million.
And they say the country is skint?
It would have been better to get together with Rye people, Rye town council, perhaps Rother, and discussed how these millions could be spent, for improving the area with family in mind and tourists, better seating a pair of games for little ones and spending as little as possible seeking to make it a kind of Marina which is not going to happen. And I see the few yachts arriving, they shut up shop and go off to London
Apart from that those black wooden or iron bars being seen above the water are ugly.
I’ll stop but many are disappointed at the money spent on such a narrow part of society and it has taken years and no doubt we will not get back to our boule pitch very soon
As I understand it the works have caused damage which now needs repair, much like the Brede sluice just along the channel where recently installed metal sluice gates have put strain on the brick lined channel which, yes you guessed it, now needs repair !
Apparently we’re going to see an influx of wealthy yacht owners using the moorings to take advantage of Rye’s amenities – not sure that will materialise when they see the EA provide just one shower and toilet for boat owners
Are Rye’s cobbled streets, restaurants and shops a big enough attraction to tempt foreign yacht owners?
The river is only navigable for a very limited time either side of high water, once at the Strand it’s always a worry as it dries out leaving the yacht sat in mud.
Add to that as Simon said there’s one toilet and shower, compare this to Eastbourne where you can almost come and go as you please, facilities are in a different class and the yacht stays afloat at all times.
Granted it will cost you more but is that a problem to most yacht owners?
As for the hand rails, very few places with access which encourages the public to use it for leisure will have an unguarded drop like there is on the Strand, too many public liability issues in these times.