Aldi’s proposed Rye supermarket is a giant leap closer to reality after National Highways (NH) withdrew its objection to the project — removing the last major hurdle to planning approval.
NH has also withdrawn its objections to Decimus’ application for 16 houses and McCarthy Stone’s application for a 43-unit retirement home on the site off Winchelsea Road in Rye.
The existing access road junction to / from the development site will be upgraded to allow 43m visibility in both directions — with new 8m-radius kerbs installed at the junction to provide safer access. A “high-friction surfacing” will be applied to the junction approaches on Winchelsea Road, while two road signs indicating ‘Junction ahead’ will also be installed.
While the move is good news for the site’s three developers, the end game still needs to be played: however, it seems the path for planning approval of the supermarket is largely clear. While there was speculation the final decision on all three projects could fall to an RDC Planning Committee due to be held in September, the Council’s planning portal currently lists the decision deadline as July 31 2025. This suggests the Council may be keen to expedite the decision.
Letters dated June 9 sent by NH to Rother District Council offered no objection to the projects, although the roads agency recommended that conditions be attached to any planning permission that may be granted.
Conditions include an instruction that approved design improvements to Winchelsea Road (A259) must be completed before any of the new developments can operate, and that RDC must approve a “construction traffic management plan”.
National Highways has also ordered that it must be consulted on any proposed temporary or permanent advertisements viewed from the A259. Its focus will be on the structural integrity and lighting of any advertising signs.
A Stage 1 Road Safety Audit and a Walking, Cycling and Horse-Riding assessment report have now been carried out and lodged with RDC, as previously requested by NH.
Rye residents have been waiting for a planning decision on the supermarket for more than a year. By June 21, RDC had received a total of 317 public comments* on Aldi’s planning application, with 92.1% of these opinions supporting what would be a second supermarket in Rye.
Twenty (6.3%) of the submissions were objections and five (1.6%) represented general comments. Nearly 86% of comments originated from the local TN31 postcode, while almost all the rest came from other areas close to Rye, such as Winchelsea and Pett. Interestingly, two thirds of the people expressing their views were women and a third men.
Image Credits: David Worwood .
This is certainly good news to the shoppers of Rye, that Aldi are a step closer in bringing their supermarket to Rye.As I’ve said before Competition is healthy for all,and the added bonus for people to choose what day of the week they shop, is something that the shoppers of Rye,have been denied for far too long
I still don’t understand how the traffic will work. At peak times there will surely be traffic queues backing up into Rye well past the two feeder roads onto the ‘Kettle o’ Fish’ roundabout and also in the other direction on the A259 coming in from Winchelsea.
You should visit the huge Aldi the other side of St Leonards, it works just fine
The traffic was backed up to Skinners last week due to a van parked on the under cliff road next to Alsfords. Parking along there and causing huge delays seems to be acceptable.
The Aldi at Ore doesn’t pose a traffic problem but the main road is wider there and because its close to traffic lights there is a gap in passing traffic to get in and out .
I think that it will slow traffic and may result on traffic build ups but the public reaction seems to be a ” thumbs up ” to the scheme . I think it will ” kill ” Jempsons in time but again Public reaction seems to be in favour of a discount food retailer over everything else .
What has also slowed the traffic down and is an accident waiting to happen is on te Skinners roundabout, as cars queue up to get in the garage and others park on the pavement, interesting where will the cars parked on Winchelsea road,when the Premier store opens,as there is very little parking, which is also shared by the tyre company aswell.
Patrick Cooke Looking at the overall proposal for additional residents on the site, the applications for further housing around Rye , the attracting back of some of the shoppers who choose to leave Rye to do their main shop , the tourists who would like seven day a week supermarket availability , not to mention the village dwellers on the four sides of Rye who may pick to turn right or left to do their main shop , the prospect for additional trade for the future is positive and needs to be planned for.
The problems regarding traffic and access around Rye would be less severe if double yellow lines were applied to the South Undercliff and Strand areas. It is only a matter of time before hold-ups here cause problems with emergency services. Free flowing traffic should be a priority as well as better managed car parking that isn’t run by crooks in some cases.