Trial set
Stephen Castle has pleaded not guilty to murdering 54-year-old Wayne Woodgate whose body was found near Peasmarsh on October 23 last year.
The 59-year-old from Matfield in Kent denied the charge at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday, January 2.
He is next due in court on April 22.
More detail
A website has been launched giving more information about Martello Developments plans for housing in Rye. As we revealed exclusively in December, 140 new homes could be built at Tilling Green, Rock Channel, the former Freda Gardham School, and on Rye Harbour Road.
www.readytotalkrye.com went live just before Christmas and includes ways in which local people can comment on the proposals. The front page of the website acknowledges that three of the four proposed sites are on land approved for development. “Three of these sites have been allocated for new homes by Rye Town Council through their neighbourhood plan, and will meet the needs of the local community in providing much-needed housing in the town.”
The fourth site – on Rye Harbour Road – is already proving controversial. The development is on a greenfield site at risk of flooding and is currently not in the neighbourhood plan. Rye Town Council’s planning committee in November strongly supported demands for the “strategic gap” between Rye and Rye Harbour to be maintained.
Going green
180 solar panels have now been fitted to the roof of Rye Leisure Centre – it’s hoped they will supply as much as 40 per cent of the centre’s energy. The £140,000 cost of the panels has come from the Sports England Swimming Pool Support Fund which is designed to support public leisure facilities with swimming pools which have been adversely affected by rising costs.
2025 is a big year for the centre when it moves to local management in the spring. Ownership will transfer to a Rye based charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) known as Rye Recreation and Well-Being CIO.
Under offer
Rye’s former Methodist Church in Church Square is known to be “under offer”. The church, built in 1903, has been vacant for more than three years. The guide price for the building was £460,000, but the current bidder has not been identified.
Given the ancient character of Church Square and Gun Garden, it’s expected that Rye Town Council — and even planners at Rother District Council — keen to ensure any development of the Methodist Church site, or conversion of the building itself, is in keeping with the historic location.
Sports news
Rye Town FC drew two all away to Sidley on Saturday, January 4, with Sam Henham and Callum Hadaway both scoring. The team are next in action on Saturday, January 11 when they face Hollington at the rugby ground. Kick-off is at 2pm.
Also on Saturday, January 4, Rye Rugby Club’s fixture at home to Faversham was postponed because of a frozen pitch
From the Rye News What’s on diary
In print
Finally, Rye News is back in Fixtures, the free monthly magazine distributed to thousands of homes around Rye. Every edition will have a selection of stories from the online edition of Rye News. Many thanks to Ian and James Foster from Adams of Rye – the High Street printers have been publishing Fixtures for over 80 years.
Image Credits: JR P CC , Kent Police , Martello , Rother District Council , Nick Forman , Rawpixel CC , Rye Harbour Sailing Club .