The location of potential new homes and businesses in Rye has been discussed by town councillors this week. Monday’s meeting in the council chamber approved a six-week consultation on an updated Rye Neighbourhood Plan, and on Thursday councillors were due to meet representatives from one of the area’s biggest developers to hear their ideas for new building in the town.
The future of Rye public toilets and the multi-million-pound budget deficit at East Sussex County Council were also discussed at Rye Town Council’s meetings on October 14.
Future development
The Rye Neighbourhood Plan, which looks at how the town might change in the future, is now five years old and has been updated to reflect new policies on housing and industrial development. Co-ordinator Anthony Kimber told councillors a six-week consultation was required by law and a possible local referendum on the new version of the plan may also be necessary. He explained why it was vital Rye continued to have a detailed plan and described the significant development pressures in and around Rye.
You can read more about the consultation on the Rye Neighbourhood Plan here.
With plans for new building on Ferry Road and Winchelsea Road still to be approved, proposals for new development in Rye are likely. Councillors from Rye Town Council and Rother District Council were due to meet representatives from Martello Developments and architects RX at a closed meeting on October 18. The developers have significant interests in the town including the former Freda Gardham School (currently being used as the Rye Creative Centre), Tilling Green and Bridgepoint / Rock Channel.
A full briefing note on potential plans for the Freda Gardham School off Kings Avenue was issued to Rye councillors. You can read it here.
Rye’s public toilets
The long and convoluted story around the provision of public conveniences in Rye continues, with councillors agreeing that both Strand Quay and Gun Gardens should remain open over winter, along with toilets at Rye Station and The Salts. Concerns were raised over vandalism, maintenance and cleaning costs, but the benefits offered, especially to the vital tourist trade, were considered to outweigh the risks.
The whole issue will re-emerge before April 2025 as there is no clarity from Rother District Council on their policy for freehold transfer or ongoing maintenance. This puts at risk the funding offered by Rye Chamber of Commerce to radically improve the station facilities, as the budget must be allocated by March 2025. Several ideas were proposed and preparatory work is already underway, but without a clear decision from Rother no formal plan can be put in place. In the end Rye Town Council agreed, in principle, to keep all four public toilets open for the long term but will closely monitor the situation and finalise a plan when more is known.
Budget worries
Councillors heard a stark reminder about the state of local government finances from the leader of East Sussex County Council, Keith Glazier. He told the meeting the authority is facing a £55 million gap in the 2025/26 budget and that more consultation on cuts was inevitable: “East Sussex is not like other counties. We have the highest percentage of people over 85 in the country and along with supporting many younger people 75% of our budget is spend on social care for adults and the young. We are lobbying the new government for more support.”
More money was also needed for potholes he said: “We have insufficient funds to repair everything. There is still an awful lot of work to do.”
In more positive news, Cllr Glazier told the meeting he expected progress soon on the leases for Rye swimming pool and acknowledged the hard work people in Rye had put in to securing a more secure future for the centre.
Image Credits: Ian Taylor CC , Kevin McCarthy , James Stewart .