Plans go in
Proposals for 55 new homes at the former Freda Gardham School site on New Road in Rye have now been officially submitted.
Martello Developments hopes to build the new homes on what is now the Rye Creative Centre, which will be demolished, and the derelict school swimming pool in plans released on the Rother District Council planning portal. The application also includes a new access road from New Road and business premises.
You can read the full application here.
Rye News will have more on this story next week.
Grants up for grabs
Rother District Council is offering grants of up to £500 through the Age-Friendly Rother programme for local organisations that bring people of different ages together.
Activities can include gardening, music, creative arts and storytelling.
Applications close at 5pm on 31 July 2026. More details here.
There are calls for Hastings Borough Council to re-join the 1066 Country Partnership, the local tourism board promoting the 378 square miles of East Sussex from Camber to Pevensey, and inland to the Kent border.
Time to get involved
The 75th Rye Society of Artists Summer exhibition is taking place from 1 – 31 August at the Dance Hall, Rye Community Centre.
The George are sponsoring four prizes at this year’s Rye Society of Artists Summer Exhibition. There is a £250 prize for each category: 2D and 3D work by non-members and 2D and 3D work by members.
Work can be submitted for selection by members and non-members who live within a 15-mile radius of Rye. The selection of work for the exhibition is decided by a group of members which changes every year. More details about how to submit work can be found here.
Salts flooding
Last week in Rye News we raised the subject of how part of Rye’s Salts floods at high tide, even when there is no rain. In the article, reader Rodney Booth said, “This small area always floods during high tides killing the grass and preventing the general public from using this area. I’m also concerned this water could kill the freshly planted trees.”
The problem has been identified as a faulty drain and the Environment Agency has been contacted.
Image Credits: Rye News , Martello Developments , Picryl https://picryl.com/media/bayeux-tapestry-scene-3031-c85950 CC https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/, Louis Turpin , Rodney Booth .