The need for more admin support at Rye Town Council and funding for the closed public toilets were the main points of discussion at an extra meeting at the town hall on Monday June 10. It was only partly open to public and press who were excluded after half an hour to allow councillors to discuss quotes and budgets.
A request for more administrative help to support the work of the town clerk and his deputy was approved after a vote, with councillors noting the changing nature of their roles and workload. The briefing paper reports how new priorities including the swimming pool, allotments and toilets has led to a big increase in work. It was agreed to recruit someone for 6 months, with a longer-term solution to be explored based on how similar sized town councils are run.
On the toilets, there was no news from councillors during the public part of the meeting on the latest plan to reopen the Strand conveniences. They remain closed, along with the ones in the Gun Garden, following cost cutting at Rother District Council. Last month Rye Town Council voted to use up to £10,000 from reserves to unlock and repair the toilets on the Strand.
Sarah Broadbent from Rye Chamber of Commerce updated the meeting on how it is trying to find both short and long-term solutions for the toilets. In recent weeks the Chamber has surveyed the extent of the problem with an expert. Earlier in the year it made a successful bid for £25,000 worth of funding which can only be used for capital expenditure and not ongoing maintenance.
Her proposal was to ask Rye Town Council to consider paying for toilet cleaning for the next twelve months whilst the Chamber uses its funding for the much needed repairs. “We must spend the funding we have before April 2025. We are very limited on what we are allowed to spend the funds on – it must be on a project to improve the public realm. We will all face a backlash if we spend it on landscaping and planting, as important as they are, instead of the toilets.”
It was agreed to further discuss the proposal based on costs and quotes at the next full meeting of Rye Town Council in two weeks time.
After half an hour, a vote was taken to exclude public and press from the rest of the agenda during which the council discussed the costings and quotes it had received for the toilets. A proposal to include Rye Chamber in those discussions was rejected. The cost of the repair to the skate park was also discussed.
Before the full council meeting, a shorter planning meeting took place chaired by Deputy Mayor Chris Hoggart. As well as two planning decisions, there were also discussions on electric charging points, the rules in place for land between Rye and Rye Harbour, and how the town plan relates to the recently published Rother Local Plan. There was also discussion on organisations putting banners up around town, with the general agreement that charities would be given permission up to a month before their event.
The minutes, when published, for both meetings will appear on Rye Town Council’s website.
Image Credits: Rye News library .
At the risk of taking coals to Newcastle, has the idea of having someone stationed at the toilets, as is done in many counties in which I have worked, been considered? There is usually a small dish at the entrance for voluntary donations towards the service before they are locked for the night. It could deter vandalism.
Good initiative by Rye Chamber, as ever. Are the repair works to the loos to be put out to transparent competitive tender?