Each year our town council organises a town meeting, giving residents in Rye the opportunity to hear a review on what has happened over the previous year. Crucially, it is also an opportunity to question our council, along with representatives from Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council on critical issues that are of concern to us. This year, our member of parliament was also present. For local democracy, this is an important event, complementing formal local government meetings with an open forum for expressing issues or concerns important to Rye.
So what happened? For a start, not that many people turned up. Our council make an effort to engage with the whole town by alternating the meeting between the community centres in Rye and Tilling Green. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to result in high attendance.
And yes, important questions were raised on transport links, flooding in Military Road and the closed footpath off Landgate … but is this all we are concerned about as residents of Rye? Nobody even raised the endless nightmare of potholes! The only “strategic” issue raised concerned the impending reorganisation in local government, with updates to this important issue given by the mayor, Cllr McGurk and MP Helena Dollimore.
But don’t we care about other “big” issues? What about the impact of all the development now being considered at multiple sites across the town? What happened to the desperate need for social housing, the appalling state of our pavements and lack of dropped kerbs for mobility impaired residents and visitors? Are we OK about the potential loss of our creative centre and performing arts facility? Are there no law and order issues or concerns about the support infrastructure in Rye (medical, youth support, sewerage etc.).
Apparently, not really.
There are some big changes coming up for Rye. The potential of massive housing development, a complete change in local government structure and all the potential effect of external issues such as climate change. Other than a brief mention from the mayor of a potential formation of a community land trust (CLT), none of these issues were raised. Should we be “passive” as all this happens, or do we want an engaged local democracy that seeks to influence our future?
Full marks to our councillors and MP for creating the opportunity for discussion and turning up, but maybe as citizens we need to up our game?
Rye News will continue to try and inform our readership on important issues facing the town. Let’s complement this with strong community engagement, and a wide and vigorous debate to try and make our future the one we both want and need.
Image Credits: Chris Lawson , Nick Forman .
The numbers attending were low, perhaps we need to make the event a little more structured next time with an agenda of items to be discussed, many people are not so keen to stick up their hands at a public meeting. You are correct of course about the future being in our own hands. There is littile point in moaning on about things if you are not prepared to do anything about them. The CLT (Community Land Trust) being proposed is a way of us being able to control the destiny of the town. So please get in touch with me and join in with this project now: Jonathon Bennett 07715 600 543, jbennettlondon@gmail.com
People in general have become disillusioned over many years because even though they protest, make suggestions – very little seems to change.
Of course, there are many reasons but it appears where there is an opportunity, proposals become mired in litigation (eg: the various proposed housing schemes/ supermarket/social housing)or no one wants to take responsibility ( example the twitten running between Fishmarket Road/Landgate) or simply, lack of money.
Re: Potholes – if the ESCC roads department was run by someone with a business brain, efficiency towards the approach to repairs could be made, money would be saved and more holes would potentially be repaired. But, it will never happen, so people understandably give up and focus on their lives.
Where do I stand? I focus on what I can support / change to help others. Is this selfish of me or I am being realistic with my time?
It’s hardly surprising that people seem to be disengaged from local politics and somewhat diffident about democracy in general. For starters, I suspect they’re more focussed on surviving in a stagnating economy. But more pertinently, the Government has just cancelled May’s local elections, and in December voted down a private members bill advocating fair votes… Our PM and MP both support an electoral system that’s fundamentally undemocratic and effectively disenfranchises people. As do the Conservatives… So is it surprising people think democracy doesn’t make any difference? If the powers that be locally and nationally want more people to turn up to their meetings, they might consider giving us reason to re-engage…
I think maybe the low turnout is a symptom of the general disillusionment with politics at all levels, local and nationally. Many people’s perceptions are that, regardless of how you vote, no party really listens to or adresses the issues that concern the electorate.
The residents of Fairlight are seeing this at first hand. Realising the need for housing they were happy to accept the proposed housing development, especially as it included some low cost housing. The debacle that has followed has greatly upset them and they feel let down by Rother who, despite their assurances to the contrary, have failed abjectly in their duty of care to ensure that the developers followed the plans as submitted and passed, rather than completely ignoring them and making the villagers’ lives a misery.
Thank you to Cecilia for understanding the plight of ‘Village People’ in Fairlight. We care, we care a lot! However we only exist because of the failure of a local Property Developer and various Local Authorities over recent years to consider and meet our basic needs. I’m sorry Rye Town Council were disappointed with the turn out for your meeting. Given that many people are working long hours or may even have two jobs, I wonder are you seen as an effective Town Council? What are your success stories? Do you have any videos of the good work you do? Do you conduct online surveys to identify the priorities of Rye in the eyes of different stakeholders? Do you have a social media strategy? Do you record your regular meetings and publish them on YouTube? Do you include within your annual Open Forum an opportunity for residents to speak on their ‘hot’ issues and elected representatives to listen? Do you have service standards as to whether you answered residents questions within a given time frame and whether they were satisfied with your response? Are your meetings accessible in terms of residents with disabilities, especially for people with hearing issues? We asked these questions respectfully in Fairlight and were met with astonishment and hostility. But gradually these ideas for accountability and community engagement are now being taken on board.
The number attending was not low – around 100 is about average in recent years. However, there didn’t seem to be as many there as the last time we were at Tilling Green. There are a lot of parish/town councils that would be delighted to have these sorts of numbers. In the early 2000s we would be lucky if 12 people attended the Town Meeting!
The Annual Town Meeting has come a long way in the years since I joined Rye Town Council. The year before that, just sixteen people attended! Thanks to the energy and vision of the late David Wright, who challenged the format as soon as he was elected to Council, about one hundred residents attended the following year. The numbers have rarely exceeded this since!
Inevitably – scheduling it for the early evening of a weekday/school night makes it tricky for families and working residents to get there. I for one could not have managed to get there, even though I wanted to. How about a Saturday next time?
The issue of public attendances has for a very long time been of concern, Rother District Council in times past had Cabinet meetings at various locations to encourage that. They certainly do not now have many outreach meetings, I suspect the change in management has impacted, and not to mention rising costs.
I think it is important that all Councillors, Parish/Town, yes District as well make themselves seen personally, and understand what are the concerns/issues locally and to hear good and bad news.
I don’t just mean local events, or run up to elections.
The feedback gained can help local organisations to plan the agenda of meetings.
The flip side is actually getting things dealt with, over recent Years Management has become remote to the general public and those below are not able to take decisions or have any responsibility. A simple example relates to potholes and has recently featured in Rye News, one is dealt with but the one next door is left, why? And who made the decision!
Cecilia Andrews says that she thinks maybe the low turnout is a symptom of the general disillusionment with politics at all levels, local and nationally.
I am sure that she is correct regarding the situation as it is at present, but at least we can, should we wish, contact our local town/parish, District & County representatives, whose contact details are readily available.
Guy Harris refers to the cancelled local elections that were to take place in May. This is the thin edge of a wedge. How dare anybody take away the electors’ right to a democratic election. The feeble excuse from central Government that it will save money is not acceptable to us, the electorate. Obviously a vote for candidates who would not support a county wide Brighton dominated set-up is also not acceptable, to those who would govern us. What are we to do?
Can anybody imagine that Eastern Rother will benefit from financial largesse administered by an authority located 50 miles away in Brighton? For me, not in my wildest dreams.
If people are not interested in politics now, moving local government 50 miles away will only make them even less so. Another thin edge of a wedge?
Maybe Rye should ask to be moved to the County of Kent,just like Crawley are keen to move to Surrey, we have been treated appallingly by district councils over the years,and if we get governed by Brighton, things will probably only get worse.