Harbour Road(works)
The much-delayed work to repair the Harbour Road at Rye Harbour is scheduled to start next week. East Sussex Highways say no work will take place over the Easter weekend, with the road kept fully open.
Monday March 25 and Tuesday March 26 – The road will be closed between 8am and 5pm
Wednesday March 27 – Friday March 29 – The road will be closed between 7pm and 6am
Tuesday April 2 – Wednesday April 10 – The road will be closed between 8am and 5pm
Thursday April 11– Tuesday April 16 – The road will be closed between 7pm and 6am
The latest update from East Sussex Highways gives more detail about the repairs. “Access will be maintained for all vehicles during the works, via the staff on site. Please note there may be some delays. We have phased the work to reduce the impact on local businesses as far as possible. At the western end we will be working nights to avoid too much disruption to the local business park and at the residential eastern section we will be working during the day to reduce noise disruption. We will have staff on site to advise local businesses while works are ongoing and to manage access requirements. We will also be placing ‘Businesses remain open signs’ in the lead up to the works.”
Open again after landslip
Dumb Woman’s Lane has re-opened after a landslip closed the road for a week with residents saying they’ve enjoyed the lack of traffic. Martina Farrow told Rye News: “The last few days have been much more peaceful. HGVs regularly use the lane causing damage to the bank at the landslip bend including on February 7 when a car transporter carrying six vehicles pushed up the lane.”
The road signs currently advise drivers the lane is ‘Unsuitable for HGVs’, and next week local residents are meeting with Udimore parish councillors in the hope of improving signage at the Tanyard Lane junction.
Rye Town Council
This Monday sees the next meeting of Rye Town Council. It starts at 6.30pm at the town hall on March 25, and also includes the monthly planning meeting. You can read the agenda here.
From the Rye News events diary
Get in touch
If you see anything happening in and around Rye our email is info@ryenews.org.uk.
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Image Credits: Geograph CC , East Sussex Highways , Martina Farrow , KT Bruce , Natasha Robinson .
I note from the agenda for Rye Town Council, Mon 25th, that under Finance, 125(f), the Council will discuss whether to expend over £6000 over three years on robes…
Meanwhile, there is a proposal to expend less than £1000 on kickstarting a youth club. Notwithstanding that we already have Cadets, Sea Cadets, Scouts and various other sports clubs which might benefit from this funding, I would like to pose this question again: In a cost of living crisis, is the dignity of an institution more important than the dignity of local people, who might better benefit from the expenditure of £6000?
How, in good conscience, with our own neighbours filing through the doors of the Food Bank and visiting the Repton Trust, can RTC even consider spending £6000 on pantomime costumes? The House of Commons functions (just about) without the need for such arcane livery. Why does RTC require it?
I am also aware there’s some rule somewhere that requires the Council to attire themselves in robes. My very strong suggestion is, break it: people come before flummery and fancy dress. Or, perhaps wear the tattered robes as they are far more emblematic of where the country stands…
The agenda item isn’t to consider whether to purchase the robes (14 replacement Councillor gowns) – that decision was made when the 2024-25 Budget was approved in January – it is to consider using the capital receipts reserve as the funding source, rather than the (annual) precept paid by local Council Tax payers. The bulk of the capital receipts reserve is the balance of the monies realised by auctioning a marble bust of a native American Indian that had languished in the Town Hall attic – and had no known connection with Rye.
There is no legal requirement for Town Councillors to wear robes – but it does reflect a strong – and long-standing – civic and ceremonial tradition in Rye.
There is never a good time to spend money on robes and regalia – which is why the Council does so only when necessary – preferring to prolong the life of its existing garments for as long as possible.
Stop the robes.
Thanks for the clarification, Richard.
Given there’s no is no legal requirement for Town Councillors to wear robes (I thought it was implied in an answer to an earlier discussion that there was), I think it would be deeply insensitive to place civic and ceremonial tradition ahead of the interests of local people at this time. The money can be better spent on half a dozen causes in the town.
As you say, “There is never a good time to spend money on robes and regalia” and I don’t think that statement requires any qualification!
The theatre of civic governance, nice as it is, ought to be put on ice at least until we no longer need a food bank. As for the sculpture of our benevolent Native American, once again, ‘the New World can step forth to the rescue and liberation of the Old’.
History is fascinating and so important to our society and for future generations. However this money can surely be spent more wisely, we are living in 2024 not 1824!
We have a democratically elected local Council who seemingly have voted by majority to spend a sum of capital funds on new ceremonial robes. It seems likely that a considerable portion of the electorate wouldn’t agree with this. Councillors are there to represent their constituents so perhaps it would be a good idea to publish voting records, much like they do for National Government, then the electorate could inform their votes next time?
Simon says, a democratically elected Council,so when was the last time this happened, because in recent years people have been co-opted to the council,as there has been little interest,as all the major decisions they vote on are rejected by District.
The current robes worn by the Councillors were made in 1923, and are therefore 101 years old, very fragile and looking very tatty and faded. Presumably it is anticipated that the new robes will have a similarly long lifespan, therefore this expenditure will not recur for another century.
The expenditure on the robes has already been approved by the Council, so, as Richard says, the question being discussed is whether to fund them out of annual revenue streams or from reserves as capital assets.
Rye is dependant on tourism, and that tourism is attracted because of Rye’s history and perceived sense of changelessness (“A town out of time” as a poet once described it). Our Civic Ceremonial is very much part of that history; when our Council parades, fully-robed, through the town on Civic occasions (such as St George’s Day, or Mayor-making, or Remembrance Sunday), onlookers will be witnessing a scene that implies direct continuity from the 18th century or earlier.
This sense of continuity not only helps bind the town together as a community, it also attracts and promotes tourism: the feeling that the visitors have somehow stepped into a timeless bubble.
The gowns help distinguish and identify those who are Town Councillors and also emphasise that these are the elected individuals who have the authority of The Crown to govern Rye for the benefit of the Townsfolk.
All the other Cinque Ports towns – yes, even ‘progressive’ Hastings – have robes for their councillors and Rye’s are by far the oldest and tattiest.
The sum of money involved is not excessive in terms of the longevity of the garments, and would not be a sufficient sum to make a huge difference to the townsfolk if spent elsewhere.
Well said Paul Goring, as thoughtful as ever, truly concerned for Rye and it’s people.
Rye benefits from being a tourist attraction. We have great pubs, restaurants, hotels, shops, the Kino and over attractions, disproportionate in number and quality to the size of the town. Rye Town Councillors (volunteers) devote lots of time, serious debate and consideration to challenging issues, balancing conflicting interests, to keep Rye on track. In their wisdom they decided that robes are part of Rye’s tradition and heritage, which helps attract visitors. Investment in Rye’s traditions and heritage is so important.
Put things into perspective, the cost of robes spread over 100 years represents about 1p per resident per year! It’s a long term decision. I wouldn’t argue with that or ask councillors to debate the subject again. Their valuable time could be better spent on other things.
Populist short term arguments from parliamentary candidates often appear in election years but they shouldn’t be allowed to deflect efforts to protect and enhance things that attract visitors.
To provide an update, I asked a question at this evening’s meeting of RTC, and requested the Council consider amending the 2024/25 budget to review the decision to purchase new civic robes during a cost of living crisis. The Mayor and Council graciously accepted. The item will be reconsidered at the next meeting, and I hope the money will be re-allocated to more deserving causes – for instance, Cllr. Thorpe’s excellent proposal for a youth club, which in the long run might do much more for civic prestige.
Cllr. Kirkham noted that the current robes will soon be 100 years old. Perhaps their centenary might be a fitting moment to consign them to history – where they probably belong…
There were other exciting announcements which I shall leave it to Rye News to report…
I’ve worked out that if the new robes last as long as the current ones, that will cost 1.25 pence per person in Rye per year. Another way of looking at it: the King’s Coronation last year cost about £100m, so about £1.50 per person in the UK.
I do sometimes despair at the parochial perspective of these discussions. National debt has more than doubled from £1.21 trillion in 2010 to £2.65 trillion now, that’s the equivalent of about £39,000 for every person in the UK. In the same time, the number of food banks in the UK has increased from 35 to 1400, a forty fold increase.
If people are going to get excited about the cost of things and what our society should be prioritising – which they rightly should – why not look at the big numbers first, rather than fixating on the small ones? In the case of the robes, it should not be an either/or discussion, it should be an and/and one. If not, what else are we going to ditch: the fireworks? The Town Hall?
By Colonel Anthony Kimber PhD
President Rye RBL
As the coordinator of major civic events in Rye, which are enhanced ( in my view) by traditional dress and uniforms, you might expect that I am for the updating of the well worn Councillors’ gowns. Presumably the velvet faced distinct pattern contributes to their relatively high replacement cost.
As I favour pragmatic solutions and note that the dress of key officials has changed over the years – certain roles used to wear a top hats – why not acquire some second hand academic gowns, at a tenth of the price of new gowns? Graduate councillors could even wear their own gowns or invite donations of the same? These would be indistinguishable from the existing attire and ensure that a dress tradition survives. I am prepared to donate one to start the process!
Perfect solution to satisfy both viewpoints Anthony . Those who claim the cost is insignificant when viewed against their longevity make an irrelevant point – the expenditure will be made now, not in instalments over 100 years. Paul Goring suggests that the amount involved wouldn’t make much difference to the town if spent elsewhere, I have to disagree as I believe there are many examples of where a small investment could make a huge difference. Yes, let’s preserve our traditions but as Anthony suggests, let’s do it in the most economical way possible.
Who would spend £430 on a … robe?!!
How about an allowance of £50 for materials per robe (if requested !) and the councillors use their, no doubt abundant, initiative to find some Rye citizen volunteers to make the robes.
I am sure that is what would traditionally have happened in the olden days!
Perhaps ‘The Repair Shop’ could refurbish the existing robes?