Monday June 24 saw Rye Town Council meet in full regalia, a practice that after a vote is set to continue in spite of continuing differences over their relevance in council meetings. A cost-effective solution to repair and refurbish the dilapidated stock of robes is still under investigation. The meeting also heard welcome news of the re-opening of the public toilets on the Strand Quay and news of more progress with plans for a new youth club in Rye.
The new mayor began the meeting by updating the council on a busy beginning to his term of office, while expressing his strong appreciation for the work of all the volunteers in our community who make such a lot happen in Rye.
Probably rather more pressing for Rye residents and visitors was the confirmation that the public toilets on Strand Quay would re-open. The doors were officially unlocked on Tuesday morning June 25 after completion of all the required health and safety inspections and the extensive voluntary repair work carried out by Councillor Andi Rivett and his team to bring them up to standard. Ongoing maintenance will be supported (at least until October) by the council through the contractors who are currently responsible for cleaning the facilities on the Salts and at the station. Less clear is what will happen in the Gun Garden where the toilets remain closed because of cost cutting at Rother District Council, and even more crucially, what will be the long-term plan to ensure Rye has sufficient high-quality public conveniences open where and when the town needs.
Rye Chamber of Commerce repeated its offer of funding for the required major upgrades but an integrated plan for the future remains elusive, and the quality of the current facilities remain well below an acceptable standard. An extra council meeting will be convened to try and ensure the process does not continue to drag on, with some councillors continuing to agitate for immediate remedial action.
Councillor Sophie Thorpe gave a very positive report on progress for developing youth activities in Rye. Based on wide-ranging consultations with around 60 young Ryers, and extensive negotiations with Freedom Leisure, three activities have now been agreed. Sport activities access for holidays will be provided, a Friday night youth project begins this week, and a Rye Youth Zone (hopefully attracting further funding) will be put in place. Swimming pool access is also being discussed. All this has been achieved at minimal expenditure and the progress was enthusiastically endorsed by councillors and members of the public.
There's an extra meeting of Rye Town Council on this Monday July 1 at 6.30pm. The future of the toilets in the Gun Garden is on the agenda. More details on the Rye Town Council website
