A public exhibition of housing development plans for the Lower School site was held at the Tilling Green community centre on Wednesday, October 19.
Situated on Ferry Road behind the Queen Adelaide restaurant and internet cafe and backing on to Tillingham Avenue, the site is scheduled to comprise 77 new homes, with 48 houses and 29 apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms. Built on a pattern of culs-de-sac off a central access road, the design includes a sequence of open spaces which lead through the scheme. Building heights across most of the site will be 3/3.5 storeys with lower dwellings nearer existing streets. On-site parking for 90 cars is included.
The London based developer, Plutus Estates, having bought the land, has already met with officers of Rother District Council and is now in the pre-planning application process of public consultation. Feedback was invited from the 100 or more residents who visited the exhibition, with the suggestion that “comments would be fed, where possible, into our proposals”. The planning application is expected to be submitted later in the year with a decision anticipated in early 2017.
Various residents’ comments were gleaned informally at the exhibition. One local councillor said “it’s a beautiful site with easy access to the town, supermarket, school and rail and bus stations, but it does have problems with vehicle access and infrastructure generally”. Another questioned the scheme’s viability in terms of flood risk, with the whole site relatively low-lying and residential accommodation apparently planned on the ground floor.
Questions asked by the developer were: 1). Do you support the principle of development on this vacant site? 2). Do you support our approach to the development of the site for new homes? and 3). Do you have any additional thoughts on the scheme? Comments are requested by November 4.
This is the chance for our readers to send in their opinions to Rye News. Rye Town councillors will be looking for guidance from you, or you can make your views known to Plutus Estates (Rye) Freepost ref. RTRB-LUUJ-AGBY, c/o PPS Group, Sky Light Tower, 50 Basinghall Street, London EC2 5DE or email PPS Group consultants: ellie.naismith@ppsgroup.co.uk. The developer does not have a website.
Photo: Kenneth Bird
