National Highways says planning permission should be withheld for a further three months to allow developers to resolve “outstanding matters” relating to the A-road impact of the Aldi supermarket and residential development in Rye.
However, the Environment Agency has approved the development subject to a condition which will ensure that no floors are lower than 3.45m above sea level and that a proposed scheme for “floodplain volume compensation” goes ahead. The EA also mentioned other measures regarding ways to mitigate or respond to flood impacts.
The development — which has sparked huge interest among local residents — involves the construction of an £18m Aldi supermarket, 16 private homes and a large building for retirement accommodation off the A259 (Winchelsea Road) in Rye.
National Highways said it had reviewed two follow-up documents from the developers’ consultants and the agency listed a number of traffic / queue-modelling issues that it required the developers to address.
“It is currently not possible to determine whether the application would have an unacceptable impact on the safety, reliability and / or operational efficiency of the Strategic Road Network,” the agency concluded.
NH recommended the planning application not be approved until January 29 2025, to allow the road issues to be resolved to its satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the developers’ consultant Avison Young has responded forcefully to earlier criticism of the project by Jempson’s supermarkets’ consultant Peacock and Smith.
Image Credits: Harris Partnership , David Worwood .