Planners at Rother have lifted the threat of a second supermarket being built on Gibbet Marsh, Rye Council's Planning Committee have been told.
The area had been allocated in the Rye Neighbourhood Plan as a possible site for another store. The original intention had been for a supermarket on the old lower school site (behind the Queen Adelaide pub in Ferry Road), however after the failure of the Tesco/Sainsbury’s project and following planning applications for residential development on the site, an alternative location was needed for the additional retail space and Gibbet Marsh appeared to be the logical place.
There has been some public opposition to this based on the impact to the adjacent area and, indeed, whether Rye now needed a second supermarket given the increase in size of Jempson’s.
Following the Town Meeting, where these issues were aired, the vice-chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan steering committee, Anthony Kimber, held further discussions with Rother following which Rother revised their position on the development and agreed that “notwithstanding the Core Strategy position that a 2nd store is required; [it is] evident that retail trends have changed; little interest from developers; therefore no expectation of achieving in period.”
This information was given to some members of Rye Town Council Planning Committee on Monday. The meeting was an informal one due to illness and absence of members preventing the required quorum of five required to establish a full meeting.
Gibbet Marsh, therefore, remains, at least for the time being, as car park and open space.
Photo: Rye News library
