A seasonal message from your councillors

As we stand on the verge of Christmas 2023, what a year of ups and downs we have seen here in Rye and Winchelsea. We have been through the significant challenges of water outages and then floods, we’ve celebrated the reopening of Rye pool before even more positive news from the pool with new staff and longer opening hours. Bonfire was a huge success and really showcased how much our little towns punch above their weight in so many ways. Friends Altogether in Rother is another wonderful venture working to reduce loneliness locally which we both have been very keen to support (especially given the quality of cake and biscuits on offer!).

In our last update we wrote about the efforts to Rye ticket office and protect it from closure, Helena Dollimore, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Hastings and Rye also initiated a petition calling on the rail operators to think again, well we are all hugely relieved that sense seems to have won out and the ticket office will not now close. Everyone who took part in the petition and who responded to the consultation should be very pleased that their efforts contributed to such a positive outcome.

In more recognition for our town, November saw a visit to Rye from shadow environment secretary, Steve Reed MP where he met with local business leaders and residents to discuss the effects of the water crisis. Steve Reed, Helena Dollimore and Cllr Simon McGurk visited businesses in Rope Walk, the High Street and the Mint ahead of the meeting listening to concerns and learning about the impact on different businesses. The subsequent meeting including Cllr Cheryl Creaser was very fruitful and served to underline the difference in approach that Labour would take not only in actively engaging and listening to businesses and residents but in for instance significant sanctions for failing water company bosses including personal criminal liability in cases of extreme and persistent lawbreaking.

Staying on the theme of environment, as the dust settles on a controversial CoP 28 we will wait to see what the detail can tell us about the global response to catastrophic global warming; however, in Rye and Winchelsea we have no doubt that we will continue to develop our local response, to build resilience and strengthen the mutual support that marks our communities out as welcoming, active places where we will not shy away from doing our bit for one another and for wider afield.

From us both, warmest wishes for a peaceful and healthy Christmas, new year and beyond.

Image Credits: Cheryl Creaser and Simon McGurk .