Surprisingly, there is a new application for a filling station and retail outlet at the top of Udimore Road. Surprising because the first application was rejected with a very clear statement from the planning officer, which began:
“The proposed petrol filling station would extend the development of the town into open countryside beyond the clearly established town edge, introducing a discordant addition at the approach to the town, adversely affecting the rural character of the area and the entrance to the High Weald AONB”
The development now proposed is basically the same as before, except that lighting is reduced and lowered a little, the roof of the retail building is ridged instead of flat, the development is moved very slightly (6m) downhill and there are more trees to hide it. None of these changes alter the fact that this is “discordant addition” to a rural area outside the development boundary.
The first application received 79 objections compared with 12 letters of support, showing that if the people of Rye want a new filling station, they certainly don’t want it here.
The 500 metre square footprint of the retail outlet is, we believe, larger than that of any shop in Rye except Jempson’s supermarket. If built and successful, it would draw extra traffic along Udimore Road, already with severe traffic problems known to all who use it. Of the 79 objections to the first application, no fewer than 53 mentioned these traffic problems.
Use your right to comment on these plans on the Rother Planning website
Ernest and Veryan Pollard
I live in Valley Park, and use the Udimore Road very regularly. The (entirely legal) roadside parking there presents no problem whatever, and drivers are invariably courteous in giving way to other vehicles.
As for the proposed petrol station increasing traffic, many people from here and villages beyond would no longer need to go into the centre of Rye to buy petrol or use the ATMs. This would have the effect of actually reducing congestion in the town.