Plans to sell off land next to Tilling Green Community Centre have been abandoned for now in spite of the county council receiving four offers, including one from the town council backed Rye Community Land Trust (CLT).
It described the decision as a missed opportunity to provide affordable housing in Rye.
On Monday 2 March, Councillor Nick Bennett, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for resources and climate change, agreed for the authority to keep ownership of the playing fields.
The land was put up for sale in autumn last year. At the time, officers said the land is allocated for a 20-home development in the Rye Neighbourhood Plan and said a sale would help achieve this.
While the council received potential offers from Rye Community Land Trust and three developers, officers say circumstances have now changed. This is linked to the ongoing processes of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation.
In an ESCC report a council spokesman said, “During the marketing period it has become clear that the new combined authority in Sussex will have a priority workstream for ‘stuck sites’ and that Homes England are interested in taking forward local authority owned sites in a different way. The Tilling Green site therefore now represents an opportunity and is no longer considered to be surplus to the council’s requirements.”
The spokesman added, “Whilst disposal of the site would represent a capital receipt to the council, the potential future opportunities now available for the site are considered to be a preferable route to pursue.”
Colonel Anthony Kimber from Rye CLT said, “The Rye CLT bid for the land with a view to building 20-25 social homes, but clearly ESCC did not view the bid favourably. Given that it will now be subject to transfer to the eventual mayor of Sussex as part of English devolution, we can expect that there will be no change for ‘some years’ and the early opportunity for the Rye community to build much needed affordable homes on this site has been denied.”
In December 2024 local developers Martello proposed plans for homes on the site.
Image Credits: James Stewart .