The “jewel in the crown of Rye” seems rather tarnished after the Town Council’s Planning Committee agreed to support refusal of planning permission for a major redevelopment in the Rock Channel area. Bourne and Sons, who are now mainly based in Harbour Road, want to redevelop the existing commercial site as a mixed development with 30 homes, together with some retail and commercial space.
The current version of the Neighbourhood Plan – likely to be voted on next year by residents – pinpoints Rock Channel as one of the areas where more housing could be fitted in, and riverside commercial areas could be tidied up. And the Plan’s Steering Group, a mix of councillors and volunteers, has described this area as a potential “jewel in the crown of Rye”.
However the crown also includes other issues like parking, traffic conditions, and appropriate locations for commercial activity and, while the council has approved the Plan in principle, this piecemeal development of the Rock Channel area forced the Planning Committee to look at wider issues and how parts of the Plan hang together.
The site next door to the proposed redevelopment is owned by Jempsons and houses the largest articulated lorries (pictured above), much bigger than Bourne’s largest removal vans, and these have to access the busy South Undercliff A259 road past St Margaret’s Terrace along an unadopted road in poor state of repair – which would also have to be used by those living in the new development. These huge lorries turn out of the Terrace sometimes with great difficulty in heavy traffic as the driver’s cab can end up on the far side of the road near the Italian restaurant.
The same lorries are also affected by cars parked in the area which can exacerbate traffic problems, and adequate parking was another issue that concerned councillors. However Jempsons might be unlikely to move as the “industrial area” along Rye Harbour Road is similarly affected by the sharp corner at the boatyard followed by an even sharper corner leading into the narrow bridge over the Brede, which can cause both delays and bring traffic to a halt.
The Planning Committee was also concerned about the height of the proposed development and councillors referred to “skyline creep” as buildings in lower parts of the town, such as the latest in Cinque Ports Street, seemed to demonstrate (as pictured, right). However the Planning Committee was careful to say that it supported appropriate and sympathetic redevelopment of this site, while rejecting the specific proposal on grounds of inadequate access to the main road, insufficient parking, and the height of the buildings.
Photos by Ray Prewer