For a number of years the main hope for the provision of more social housing and affordable homes in Rye has been the development potential of the Tilling Green Community Centre.
Since the withdrawal from negotiations in 2017 by a housing association Amicus, despite plans being well advanced, and following advice relating to flood plains by the Environment Agency, no further proposals have been made.
Rye Partnership, which has a lease on the land from East Sussex County Council (whose leader is, by coincidence, also chairman of the Partnership) and have been charged with responsibility for its development for the last 20 years, have now finally decided this this is beyond them and have handed back responsibility to ESCC. Their full statement is as follows:
"At our recent AGM we presented our business plan that outlined our priorities and focus for the next four years which include development of the Fisheries site and Tilling Green Community Centre.
"The Partnership requested a report from one of its directors who has significant experience in local planning coupled with recent relevant knowledge having been a part of a local development scheme. These report findings which were presented at the Directors meeting in May 2022 and set out clear reasons why the Rye Partnership would not be best placed to deliver a housing project on the Tilling Green site.
"The Partnership is pleased to have now received the 30-year leases on the site and will continue to maintain the open space until such time as the County Council confirm that they have a scheme that will deliver the housing that we all know is needed in Rye.
"Rye Partnership is committed to helping Rye provide affordable housing in appropriate places and is hopeful that proposals are submitted to ESCC for the playing field at Tilling Green which fulfil local needs.
"We understand anyone interested in submitting a development proposal should contact Nigel Brown, Assistant Director of Property at the County Council."
