A small group has now met to progress the setting up “Friends of the Landgate”, following on from the support shown after the two articles I wrote in Rye News. Kevin McCarthy and Heidi Foster, who among their other interests also volunteer at Rye News, have joined me, and we hope that a fourth person will soon confirm that he is interested.
Your comments highlighted how anxious local residents were to preserve and enhance the ancient structure. We are therefore intending to set up a proper committee to establish Friends of the Landgate. Without a properly constituted committee, a strategic plan and a clear statement of purpose, it would not be possible to access any grant funding or properly discuss the future of this ancient monument Two structures would be possible: Charitable Trust or Community Interest Company (CIC). Our enquiries lead us to think that a CIC may be the best way, as this would shorten the route to the appropriate status, to access monies and grants.
We have also met with the Service Manager for the Community and Economy at Rother District Council (RDC). She was able to help us by explaining the ownership and relevant history of the Landgate. As Rye Conservation Society (RCS) has just written to Councillor Lord Ampthill, a number of the topics we, the interim group, have discussed are laid out in their letter. We heard that a reply has been sent to RCS, which is confidential and the contents are not known to any of us.
We were reassured that the culture and significance of the Landgate, a Grade 1 listed Ancient Monument as you are all aware, was not unrecognised by RDC. Work was actually carried out in 2015 and again in 2017 to remove the pigeon droppings from the base of the arch. The report written by an expert on historic buildings, on behalf of Thomas Ford and Partners in 2015, mentioned in the RCS letter, has yet to be released. However, it seems that the actual structure is not in need of urgent repair, except for items like the flagpole and its stand. We are hoping to invite the expert to talk at our first meeting which we are planning for the new year, as we feel this would be of immediate interest to you all. The date will depend on his interest and acceptance and we hope to see many of you there.
A strategic plan also needs to be developed. This would have to have a structure of phased work, so each objective could be achieved in turn. In the first phase, the aim of Friends of the Landgate would be to see the urgent works undertaken.
I hope that this shows that the setting up of a local Friends of the Landgate group is making progress, and that you will want to join us to work in partnership with both Rother District Council and Rye Town Council to ensure the future of the Landgate. We are now beginning to list names of those interested in helping us, and have set up an email for the Friends. In the next two weeks, we will send out information to people who are interested about our continuing progress. Our email is: friendsofLandgate@gmail.com
Photo: Gillian Roder
It would be constructive for the Steering Group to invite a representative from RCS to join them in forming a Committee of Friends, especially now that RCS have entered the fray by writing to RDC directly; that nominee might then be able to feed RDC’s reply to the RCS letter into the Committee’s discussions.
At the very least, it would demonstrate a willingness to be as inclusive as possible. In the same vein, a representative from RTC, and/or letter(s) of support from the RTC, would also help bolster the Friends position when the time comes for applications to grant funding bodies.
It would be very useful for the Steering Group to engage with Winchelsea FOAM (Friends of the Ancient Monuments) who have the onerous and extremely expensive task of looking after their town’s gates.
Have the Steering Group considered involving the media an item in local news on T V may concentrate minds. I wrote to a Councillor about the state of the Landgate tree growing out of roof, clock etc. also the state of the cobbles which in some places need mowing. To date I have not received a reply!!!
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