Council’s last-minute meeting

Rye Town Council meets next Monday, April 29, for its final meeting (as does its Planning Committee) before the council elections on Thursday May 2.

The special meeting has been called to discuss the Rye Neighbourhood Plan as well as a grant application from Strandliners, missed off the last agenda.

The town’s Planning Committee will then discuss any new planning  applications including one from Rye College, which has already attracted one objection about the opening hours of a new playing surface for school and community use.

Detailed papers for these final meetings were being sent out to councillors as Rye News was about to be published, but discussions about the Neighbourhood Plan are likely to include the evidence for green spaces in the town and the evidence for parking needs.

The proposed new school playing field will be open for community use from 5:30pm to 10pm Mondays to Fridays and 8am to 6pm at weekends.

The day before the council meeting, this Sunday April 28, councillors will be processing from the Town Hall to St Mary’s Church at around 10:15am for the 10:30am Civic Service after the Mayor has taken the salute of a procession of local organisations.

Councillors will be wearing their hats (tricorns for women, bicorns for men) , gowns and white gloves, but not necessarily for the last time as most are standing again (except myself) – but one might lose his or her seat as there are 17 candidates for 16 seats.

The new council will then be processing to St Mary’s again after next Thursday’s election (May 2) for the Mayor Making service at noon on Bank Holiday Monday May 6 when the Mayor, Cllr Mike Boyd (shown at top), will be installed for the second year of his two-year term of office, providing he is re-elected as a councillor.

It seems unlikely now that a referendum on Rye’s Neighbourhood Plan will be held along with the European elections later in May, assuming these do take place.

Image Credits: John Minter , John MInter .