On the morning of August 6 a passer-by noticed that the entrance gate to the empty Thomas Peacocke lower school site on Ferry Road was unlocked and wide open. On further investigation, the reason for this was discovered: large piles of rubbish had been dumped on the site.
The site has remained empty for many years whilst planning permission has been sought by the developer, Plutus (Rye) Ltd, whose latest plans submitted to Rother District Council have yet to be decided on (see Rye News article Ferry Road site update).
The fly-tipped rubbish contained household waste including books, furniture and children’s games, and unwanted items from house renovations including a bath, wood and building materials.
Another pile included what appeared to be asbestos strips. Asbestos is extremely dangerous to human health and is expensive to remove and dispose of which is why illegal dumping of it has become a common occurrence.
There was also an area of material that had been burnt, very close to dried undergrowth.
In a statement,, Plutus (Rye) Ltd said: “A local resident called the consultation number yesterday afternoon to inform us of what has happened on the site and we are now in the process of securing the site and will ensure that all fly-tipping is removed as soon as possible. We are grateful for the vigilant local resident letting us know as soon as possible as we were not aware that the site had been broken into.”
Rother District Council can only remove fly-tipped waste if it is on the public highway or on their land. It is the responsibility of owners of the land to remove any waste although a council has “the power to require landowners to remove waste which is detrimental to the amenities of a neighbourhood (an eyesore) or prejudicial to health” (https://www.rother.gov.uk/rubbish-and-recycling/fly-tipping/)
Image Credits: Rye News Library .
I live on ferry road and the site was not broken into, but firemen had to cut the chain to be able to access the site and fight the fire. This was after me and a neighbour spotted the fire and went over to fire station to report it. As far as I could see, the firemen had issues with cars parked in front of the gate so took time to get the fire engine in. It seems they were not able to get hold of the site owners so cut the chain to gain access. From their statement it seems they are unaware of the fire service being on site. And all of this to me shows they are failing in maintaining the site and keeping it safe.
I see now, I saw the fire engine there & being a ex pupil at the school I’ve always taken an interest in the goings on there. The gate is still unsecured which is surely asking for more tipping in the future
I can’t help thinking if the development goes ahead the entrance (where the Queen Adelaide is now) will open onto FerryRd right by the level crossing & close to the fire station, Drs surgery & nursery. If the housing is only for a wealthy few rather than affordable accommodation for Rye people I’d be happy to see the site going back to nature & becoming a nesting site again, it was an quiet island in a busy small town.