Aldi has now been given full planning permission for its Rye store on Winchelsea Road. Work will start on clearing the site later this year, with a new access road finished early in 2027.
Rother District Council’s Planning department made the announcement on Wednesday 24 June. So far there’s no timetable on when the new store will open.
The supermarket had been given the go-ahead on 12 February subject to a number of conditions, called Section 106 agreements, which were signed off earlier this week. These are thought to include promises on employment and biodiversity, supporting bus services, two hours’ free parking and improvements to the walk into Rye town centre.
The new supermarket is just one part of the development on the site, which also includes a project by Decimus for 16 one, two, three and four bedroom homes and a larger building by McCarthy and Stone with 43 retirement living apartments. Both these developments also received the full go ahead this week, again with agreed conditions.
A spokesperson for Decimus told Rye News detailed planning consent has now been secured, “This marks a significant milestone for the project, which has been carefully progressed over a number of years. We will now move forward with the next stage, including the discharge of planning conditions and preparation for a substantial programme of enabling works later this year.”
The statement continues, “These initial works will comprise demolition, groundworks, utility diversions, the creation of a new access road and associated highway improvements to Winchelsea Road, with completion expected in early next year.”
Plans for the development were first submitted in June 2024. You can read more about the lengthy planning battle here.
Image Credits: Harris Partnership , Decimus .
Sadly, I think this could well be the end for Jempsons in Rye. Losing them would be a shame: the loss of a local employer and contributor to the community, and another step towards bland homogenisation. It may be too late but perhaps Jempsons can still take on board the often valid criticisms from some and, rather than vainly fighting Aldi’s inevitable arrival, decide how best to position themselves to stay relevant. I’d suggest they cannot hope to compete price-wise but must differentiate themselves (as, for example, Booths in the north) to sell high quality local produce to service a complementary section of the market. The clock is ticking but I hope they can find a way to stay with us.
I wouldn’t mind betting that Jempson’s will carry a wider selection of products than Aldi. From my own experience, I suspect that not everyone will want to do all their food shopping at Aldi every single week. If Jempson’s offers greater choice and stocks more of the brands that customers are familiar with, then I think many people will alternate between the two stores once the novelty of Aldi has worn off.
I hope there are enough potential customers in the catchment area to support two local supermarkets. I also hope that Jempson’s will not give up without a fight.