The developers hoping to build an Aldi supermarket, homes and retirement housing on Winchelsea Road in Rye are still waiting for news from the National Highways. The Agency raised further concerns about access to the site in November last year.
National Highways said planning permission should be withheld for a further three months until January 29 to allow developers to resolve “outstanding matters” relating to the impact on the A259. In a letter to planners at Rother District Council the Agency said: "It is currently not possible to determine whether the application would have an unacceptable impact on the safety, reliability and / or operational efficiency of the Strategic Road Network.”
Meanwhile, a new report prepared for Rother District Council concludes it is unable to reach a final recommendation on how the new store will affect businesses in Rye.
The report, written by consultants Nexus, acknowledges the detailed plans put forward by the developers but says the council is "not yet in possession of sufficient information in order to undertake a robust and thorough assessment of the likely impact of the proposal."
Dated January 2025 the report concludes by asking the developers to update their forecast turnover at the proposed new store with more up to date sales figures.
The development, which involves the construction of the £18m Aldi supermarket, 16 private homes and a large building for retirement accommodation, is currently listed to be decided by the end of February.
