As the long jubilee weekend comes to an end on Monday, June 6, Rye Town Council's planning committee meets at 6:30pm to consider a wide range of controversial issues in advance of the annual town meeting a week later, on Monday, June 13.
These include
- the future of Rye's neighbourhood plan in light of changing government policies
- a controversial site on the Udimore Road
- development between the town and Rye Harbour
- the Tilling Green school site (see plan above) and its availability for housing
- the general lack of affordable/ social housing
- and parking (see photo below).
Full details can be found on the town hall website in the papers for Monday's meeting - but the principal issues are summarised below.
One home in five
A frequent issue at the town meeting, as well as at the council committee, can be housing and its impact on every aspect of Rye's life when, apparently, around one home in five (or about 400 properties) are not available for purchase because they are second or third homes, holiday lets, Airbnbs or rented out.
And those problems may have been made worse by the former Tilling Green school site being leased out by the county council before the town council had a chance to put its view after previous proposals (see plan at top) were dropped .
What neighbourhood plan?
The government's recent housing plans also seem to over-ride existing neighbourhood plans which may mean the Udimore Road site next to Valley Park, recently auctioned off after being vetoed for a garage development because of its impact on an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), may now be lined up for housing.
On the other hand the vetoing of that proposal may be an excuse for a possible housing and shopping development, rumoured to be Lidl or Aldi (possibly with a garage) in the Winchelsea Road area.
Udimore Road also raises another problem as parked cars, on the right as you go uphill, are not leaving enough space now for an increasing number of larger vehicles, coming downhill into town, to pull over and give way to traffic coming uphill, as the Department for Transport says you should.
The consequence is that Rye's community bus has to give way and retreat downhill to let a large lorry through - and traffic appears to be growing on that road as more drivers seek to bypass Hastings.
Parking "hot potato"
Military Road is another example of where parked cars and road works have caused problems, though the flood works on the Rother for many months could cause more problems soon, and the planned review by Rother District Council (RDC) of parking arrangements in Rye is therefore another "hot potato" on the planning agenda - which may well get aired at the town meeting - and, on which, there may be a public consultation next year by RDC.
What Monday's planning committee decides on long term issues will have to be discussed at a full council meeting, but will no doubt be raised at the June 13 town meeting - and the planning papers available on the town hall site for Monday's meeting make interesting reading - and point to a number of problems.
They include a briefing note from Anthony Kimber, who led on the neighbourhood plan, on how the political landscape has changed, and how this may or may not affect the existing neighbourhood plan which residents voted for - including what the view towards Rye Harbour may be for Rye's citadel residents. Housing maybe, or a marina? Monday's planning committee may see a lot of debates re-open, and the town meeting, after a Covid gap could be very lively.
