The proposals from Rother District Council (RDC) to advertise the toilets were branded “ridiculous” and “crazy” by Rye Town Council at a meeting in December. Icklesham Parish Council has gone a step further and written a strongly worded letter complaining about the plans to leaders at RDC.
It says the toilets at Winchelsea and Winchelsea Beach are in a “terrible state of disrepair.” and should be demolished and replaced: “Rother District Council initially offered both facilities to Icklesham Parish Council on a leasehold basis. However, given the potential costs involved in demolishing and rebuilding, the parish council, on behalf of residents, stipulated that in order to take the toilets over the parish council would want the freehold interest of both sites. Rother District Council have refused to transfer the freehold and are now offering the sites to private businesses.”
You can read the full statement from Icklesham Parish Council here.
In Rye the three public conveniences are currently being advertised for lease at £9,500, £6,000 and £5,000 a year, plus 5% turnover rent. Lucknow Place in Fishmarket Road offers 651 sq ft of space, the Gun Garden 306 sq ft and the Strand Quay block 351 sq ft.
The proposal to convert and lease the larger Lucknow Place toilets comes as a surprise, as the facility was one of two in Rye that had earlier remained in use.
In 2023, closure of the Gun Garden and Strand Quay toilets due to Rother District Council financial cutbacks sparked controversy in Rye, a historic town attracting large numbers of visitors. Last summer, the facilities were reopened after Rye Town Council promised assistance. However, the idea of renting the spaces for another use, while retaining public-use toilets, had later come to the fore.
Hastings estate agent Dyer & Hobbis says the brick lavatory blocks could have a “potential leisure / retail / coffee shop use”, but that the new tenant will be required to provide “a reduced public toilet facility” during their opening hours. However, if cafes or similar enterprises open in the former toilets, it’s unclear whether the lavatories will be available all year given the highly seasonal nature of Rye’s tourism. All three toilet blocks are being advertised as a “leisure / office / retail” property type.
The public toilets on Station Approach in Rye are not part of the cafe proposals as they are owned by Network Rail and leased to Rother District Council. Rye Chamber of Commerce is exploring ways to fund repairs and maintenance here.
Image Credits: David Worwood .