Andy Stuart has been Rye’s mayor for six months. Halfway through his first year in office he sat down with Rye News to discuss what the role means to him and the challenges faced by Rye Town Council.
Mayor Andy Stuart greets me at the town hall in a smart suit and stripey tie. “I’ve had too many years being a bit scruffy, so as mayor I’ve had to try a bit harder.” Six months into the role, it’s not just his dress sense that’s changing, he’s leading Rye Town Council as it takes on more responsibility for life in our town.
Being mayor, he says, is about more than looking the part or wearing the official robes and chain. “It’s about doing your best for the people who live here, delivering for them and actually carrying things through. It’s also an enormous privilege which I don’t take for granted.”
The long to-do list now includes keeping more things running in Rye, not least the pool. Rye Town Council is signing on a twenty-year lease for the leisure centre, a big commitment for the town hall. “I have no doubt it will be a success. The team who will be running the centre have done an amazing job getting everything organised, but it’s going to need people in Rye to get behind their plans. We are really lucky to have the pool, most towns our size have nothing like it. Just another example of Rye punching above its weight.”
Financial cuts at East Sussex County Council and Rother District Council will also mean more work for Rye Town Council. Over the past year it has paid for the upkeep of some of the town’s public toilets and he fears there’s more work to come. “We are getting more power and more responsibilities. It’s getting tricky as services are migrating down to us, but not necessarily the means of paying for it. We just don’t have the revenue generation so it probably will fall back on Rye council tax payers. The more these things are handed down to us means an additional burden on the clerk and deputy clerk. The work they do for the town is amazing. I’m very grateful to them, and to my fellow councillors, for their support and hard work.”
The change of government is not helping either. “It’s delaying so many things. Funding is being made available, but when is it going to be available? How long? It becomes a minefield of bureaucracy, unfortunately. It would be marvellous if the government put in place some kind of legislation to generate a local tax, perhaps on AirBnBs. I know they bring business to the town and tourists too, but other businesses pay rates so they should as well. Unfortunately, that’s a long way down the line.”
He is keen for the council to take more of a lead on social / affordable housing noting both big developments in Rye (Winchelsea Road and Ferry Road) currently have none in their proposals. “It will be interesting to see what happens in future developments not least what is planned for sites like the Freda Gardham old school. I really hope it’s sold in an open manner.” The site is currently home to artists at the Rye Creative Centre who have been given notice from next year, with developers expected to reveal their plans next week. “It would be great if they could find a space for the artists on that site or elsewhere in the town. That would be a fantastic legacy. It would be an awful shame if they didn’t as the artists contribute such a lot to Rye being a place famous for the arts.”
Six months in to the role, is it what he expected? “Previous mayors told me ‘you’re going to be really busy’ and they weren’t wrong. It is busy. It’s easier for me as I’m retired so hats off to all my immediate predecessors who did the job whilst working. It also involves things people wouldn’t expect. For example this week I’ve been helping put up the Christmas lights with a brilliant team – including several former mayors. That meant going out at night up ladders, but also being around during the day consulting with business and home owners over where the lights could go.”
He is buoyed up by the support local people continue to give to the town. “Every day I meet people who are making a big difference to life in Rye. It is an extraordinary town. I was not born in Rye, I chose to live here. Everyone who chose to live here is part of the community and the vast majority of people do their best. There are, of course, 1 or 2 keyboard warriors who are perhaps not so supportive of what the town council does but they’ve all got the best interest in the town at heart.”
Coping with criticism is just part of the job he says. “Do I feel the pressure? Sometimes yes. I look at some of the comments and think ‘well that’s a bit unfair’ but I do think they all come from the best intentions. In life you need people who are critical friends who are there to say difficult things, sometimes you won’t totally disagree with what they’re saying or perhaps it reconfirms you’re doing the right thing anyway.”
There’s more from our interview with the mayor next week in Rye News, including Andy Stuart’s thoughts on being part of a centuries’ old tradition.
Image Credits: James Stewart , Kt bruce , KT Bruce .