Rye Town Council was in serious mood this week as it considered rate rises, grants and various purchases, as well as whether the town should have a 20mph limit on all roads – whether they be long distance trunk roads, main roads or side roads.
A named vote was taken on the council’s budget for the coming year – one purchase was only carried on the mayor’s casting vote, and two requests for grants got the thumbs down – and one was a “no joking” matter.
Local charity ARRCC wanted £2,800 towards the cost of a new comedy festival. Deputy mayor Mike Boyd suggested half of this (£1,400) should be provided, but the vote went against him and ARRCC got nothing. Sam Williams, Theatre Director in ARRCC’s Creative Centre in New Road, said some would be start-up costs, but had no idea whether anyone else had been asked for help – though the Rye Arts Festival was helping with ticketing arrangements.
The Rye Ukulele Experiment band’s request for help with with the cost of its annual festival, first held last year in the garden of the Cinque Ports Arms, was also turned down.
Cllr Keith Glazier, who is a local county councillor and leader of East Sussex County Council (ESCC), had earlier told the town council that ESCC rates would be going up by nearly 5 per cent, the maximum allowed without a local referendum.
This includes a 3 per cent Adult Social Care Council Tax levy but he said: “We are still facing a huge funding gap for adult and children services as a result of a continued reduction in our Central Government grant alongside an increase in demand for services.”
Rother District Councillor Lord Ampthill said that his council was being asked to increase its rates too, and the budget did include money for lifeguard services on Camber beach. This follows last year’s deaths and an inquest is expected next month, March. Police and fire services are also expected to increase their part of the rates bill.
Rye Town Council approved a budget of nearly £129,000 for the coming year but, compared to the £17 million savings ESCC has to make, it is a very small part of the overall household rates bill.
The council agreed on the casting vote of the Mayor to buy a small plot of land in Wish Ward that Rother District Council (RDC) is selling off because of Government cuts in their grant from Whitehall. Because of these cuts the RDC is also selling off the freehold of the building used by Ferry Road nursery, and the Town Council has agreed to buy it to protect the land for future community needs.
The council also considered the Rye Bypass Action Group’s request for a 20mph speed limit throughout the town and passed it to the Highways Forum to consider in detail.
Cllr Glazier said he had been chasing Highways England (HE) about road markings on the Winchelsea Road, and he also said that the county and district councils were working on the business case for civil enforcement of parking controls – but it would take time.
He added that speed restrictions and/or a bypass had been raised before in the 90s, and trunk road issues were a matter for the government department, HE.
Speeding in New Road is already being looked at, but HE want detailed proof before making changes. Former Mayor Cllr Bernardine Fiddimore said it was an issue that needed to be looked at area by area. The draft Neighbourhood Plan for Rye takes a similar approach and has prioritised certain areas – particularly where there are the most pedestrians, such as Station Approach.
Alison Sutcliff from the Action Group said that traffic impacts on people’s daily lives, older people were more vulnerable to traffic issues, and speed caused pollution. “This is a no-brainer,” she said.
Cllr Glazier however said a by-pass was unlikely both because of rising costs and local conservation areas and another councillor said traffic calming measures might undermine the case for a by-pass anyway. The Mayor Cllr Jonathan Breeds said the Highways Forum could look at the practical detail and advise what speed limits might be sensible, and which would not be – and the council agreed.
Council plans to buy and rent out a property to a low-income family have had to be extended outside Rye because of the lack of affordable properties in the town (which was the reason for the purchase).
The search will also now include flats, though there may be leasehold issues and properties outside Rye may raise transport issues for possible tenants because of bus cuts last year.
Photos: Rye News library
Image Credits: Rye News library , John Minter .