Aldi's proposed Rye supermarket is a giant leap closer to reality after National Highways (NH) withdrew its objection to the project — removing the last major hurdle to planning approval.
NH has also withdrawn its objections to Decimus' application for 16 houses and McCarthy Stone's application for a 43-unit retirement home on the site off Winchelsea Road in Rye.
The existing access road junction to / from the development site will be upgraded to allow 43m visibility in both directions — with new 8m-radius kerbs installed at the junction to provide safer access. A "high-friction surfacing" will be applied to the junction approaches on Winchelsea Road, while two road signs indicating 'Junction ahead' will also be installed.
While the move is good news for the site's three developers, the end game still needs to be played: however, it seems the path for planning approval of the supermarket is largely clear. While there was speculation the final decision on all three projects could fall to an RDC Planning Committee due to be held in September, the Council's planning portal currently lists the decision deadline as July 31 2025. This suggests the Council may be keen to expedite the decision.
Letters dated June 9 sent by NH to Rother District Council offered no objection to the projects, although the roads agency recommended that conditions be attached to any planning permission that may be granted.
Conditions include an instruction that approved design improvements to Winchelsea Road (A259) must be completed before any of the new developments can operate, and that RDC must approve a "construction traffic management plan".
National Highways has also ordered that it must be consulted on any proposed temporary or permanent advertisements viewed from the A259. Its focus will be on the structural integrity and lighting of any advertising signs.
A Stage 1 Road Safety Audit and a Walking, Cycling and Horse-Riding assessment report have now been carried out and lodged with RDC, as previously requested by NH.
Rye residents have been waiting for a planning decision on the supermarket for more than a year. By June 21, RDC had received a total of 317 public comments* on Aldi's planning application, with 92.1% of these opinions supporting what would be a second supermarket in Rye.
Twenty (6.3%) of the submissions were objections and five (1.6%) represented general comments. Nearly 86% of comments originated from the local TN31 postcode, while almost all the rest came from other areas close to Rye, such as Winchelsea and Pett. Interestingly, two thirds of the people expressing their views were women and a third men.
A spokesperson for the applicants said: “We are continuing to work carefully with Rother DC officers and the various statutory consultees. We are very pleased that National Highways have now confirmed no objection to the scheme, subject to conditions. We are grateful to the many local residents who have taken the time to submit comments in support of all three applications and we remain hopeful of a decision on planning permission later this summer.”* Duplicate representations have been omitted from the comments total. Six or seven comments lacked a surname and may not be counted by RDC.
