An argument over a £49,950 bus subsidy appears to be holding up the planning decision on an Aldi supermarket in Rye.
East Sussex County Council is insisting on the subsidy, but Aldi is opposing it.
In a response lodged on RDC’s website on September 2, Aldi’s consultants Connect firmly rejected the “financial contribution methodology” suggested by ESCC for subsidising the 313 bus service between the Aldi site and Rye Harbour.
The consultants also said that none of the three historical planning applications given as examples by ESCC were relevant to supporting the council’s argument over the proposed subsidy.
Connect claimed that only about 23 households in Rye Harbour lacked a vehicle. It said that as the village has a convenience store, trips to a large supermarket would likely be made weekly and some residents would use online grocery delivery, so the demand for a bus would be minimal.
Given this, the council’s call for “the suggested £49,950 contribution towards sustaining the existing bus services appears to be unreasonable,” it said.
It would seem that the issue needs to be settled before any decision on planning permission is reached.
Image Credits: Harris Partnership .
I agree with Aldi. ESCC are extracting the Michael insisting on a supermarket paying for a local bus service.
It’s the Council’s responsibility to provide bus services.
Why should Aldi provide this if Jempsons don’t?
I am in favour of the Aldi supermarket coming to Rye. But is ESCC merely a back door way of trying to stop it or at very least trying to take advantage of it. They are not working in the interest of the shopping public.
… they have a great deal many more variables than just the ‘shopping public’ to weigh up, and the Local Authority would be negligent in assessing the proposal on that basis alone.
If the local economy suffers or the roads are heavily congested from the arrival of a German-owned multinational supermarket chain etc etc, that’s not in anyone’s interests either – especially those of us who live in Rye.
The proposal needs thorough scrutiny and evaluation – and it’s difficult to see why people seem to resent that process happening so much.
And this is yet another example of why a major supermarket chain in Rye is not progress and will not be good for the town. In my eyes, Aldi are very clearly demonstrating they would rather spend thousands on lawyers and consultants to avoid integrating with our town, supporting local causes and residents.
If the ESCC are going to be ask Aldi to contribute to support local bus services why isn’t Jempsons being asked as as Jempsons Rye is next to the bus station.
Jempson’s isn’t trying to build a new store, John. No opportunity to ask. I’m sure that if the ESCC can find a way to get Rye’s existing businesses to subsidize the buses, it will!
What has aldi to do with the bus from the harbour Jane we are a separate village in our own right sounds like blackmail
For goodness sake, just get on with it. ESCC have a talent for not getting things done to the point of being obstructive, I look forward to them going.
To speak to the previous comments, a Local Contribution (or Section 106 Agreement) is secured during the planning process for all major new developments to ensure they make a contribution to the public good locally.
Jempsons isn’t developing anything – but the fact that Aldi as the applicant for a major new development is fighting this speaks volumes, particularly when [alleviating] traffic congestion is such a key local concern about the whole proposal.
Careful what you wish for.
Indeed, I forsee road congestion problems (isn’t it obvious, their expected footfall will be almost entirely cars) and hence many are likely to not visit rye harbour as a result, meaning funding for the nature reserve plummeting … Loads of unforeseen impacts as a result of this… And the supermarket point that most in the harbour have cars, well I thought one of their arguments in the planning was that everyone was going to cycle? A load of nonsense and a just a large corporate getting a foothold to increase their profits and set a precedent for chains in the rest of the town… This really is not good, though I appreciate the cost of food it’s a struggle for some… Jempsons, give discount cards to anyone on low income and everyone’s problem is solved.
If you visit the large Aldi between Hastings and Bexhill with the entrance on to the A259, you might be less concerned about congestion. There is no problem at all at that location
as said previously rye harbour is a seperate village, the bus travels between rye and the village and others anyway already, it is not a bus for locals to get to aldi as a special service. if anything the discovery centre and the campsite rye harbour should pay towards, as the customers using these facilitys also use the bus but no they never were asked, it is just a delaying tactic that sounds just like blackmail unless you pay, you do not get permission to ! it is not a major concern jake time the people of rye and surround were allowed the choice the issues you mention have been addressed
as said previously rye harbour is a seperate village, the bus travels between rye and the village and others anyway already, it is not a bus for locals to get to aldi as a special service. if anything the discovery centre and the campsite rye harbour should pay towards, as the customers using these facilitys also use the bus but no they never where asked, it is just a delaying tactic that sounds just like blackmail unless you pay, you do not get permission to ! it is not a major concern jake time the people of rye and surround were allowed the choice the issues you mention have been addressed
Why don’t the powers that be ?Approach Aldi and suggest to them to sponsor all the at risk public toilets in rye that could soon be purchased to private investors. Just an idea !