The new year starts much as the old end ended with a lot of uncertainty, some work in progress and steps back as well as forward.
The first of two open events about Rye’s Neighbourhood Plan (RNP) will be held this Saturday January 16 at Tilling Green Community Centre in Mason Road (alongside the regular Swap Shop) between 9am and 2pm – with a second on January 23 at St Mary’s Centre in Lion Street, also between 9am and 2pm. Information will be on display and RNP volunteers should be there to answer questions. The Neighbourhood Plan, which sets out long term plans for the town’s future, should give local residents greater control over what actually happens. However hopes for more housing in the Rock Channel area in place of light industry and warehouses, an important issue in the RNP, have been set back by the withdrawal of proposals for the site. The application for planning permission by the developers has been withdrawn on the basis that Rother District Council (RDC) might impose conditions which would prevent the proposals being financially viable.
Meanwhile sheltered housing (pictured above) next to the Rye and District Memorial Hospital at the top of Rye Hill has been completed, but plans for a care home and more outpatient services may be affected by council cutbacks and health service reorganisations. Many councils, including East Sussex County Council (ESCC) are considering cuts to care services because the funding they get from central government has been cut – though possible council tax increases might reduce the level of cuts necessary.
Cuts in care services provided by local councils however have a knock-on effect on local health services, particularly hospitals, and our nearest major hospital – the Conquest in Hastings – faces many changes after being put on special measures by Government inspectors. Planning ahead is therefore very difficult, particularly with care services provided by or alongside Rye’s local hospital.
Rye’s Neighbourhood Plan also faces problems because “as time elapses, there is more refinement (by government) of the rules adding to the challenges of the process” the town’s Planning Committee was told at its first meeting in 2016. “The longer we go on, the more challenging it gets” said Anthony Kimber, Vice Chair of the RNP Steering Group, and the recent weather has again highlighted concerns about surface water drainage and existing sewage systems – particularly where new developments are proposed.
The Planning Committee was also told that a site meeting would be held at the end of the month, involving ESCC as the highways authority, about continuing traffic problems in Lion Street alongside the George Hotel despite the new loading bay in the High Street in front of the hotel.
This week’s meeting of the town’s Public Services Committee was told by Councillor Pat Hughes that she was “anxious that neighbourhood policing should not be cut back” , but the number of police support officers had already been reduced by more than half and the police were currently reviewing their priorities again. Parking has already been said by the police to be not a priority, and the Police and Crime Commissioner and/or senior police officers, who will be at a public meeting on March 3 at Rye Community Centre, can expect to be strongly questioned about this. In the meantime RDC continues to consult on whether parking should be decriminalised and civil enforcement introduced.
Speaking at Public Services on behalf of REACT (the Rye Emergency Action Community Team) Colonel Kimber said that, while the weather was very unpredictable, tidal levels were very predictable, and he was confident the Environment Agency’s systems were working. However there were 1200 homes on the flood plain, system maintenance was vital, and funding pressures could affect that.
Speaking on behalf of the local hospital Barry Nealon said that the specialised housing at the hospital had been completed, but a lot of different bodies had to be consulted about additional provision, including care services – and there were big changes in how services were being commissioned.
The Public Services Committee also agreed this week to continue pressing RDC that Rye should be given more prominence in lobbying for the High Speed train service [insert LINK to “More jobs claims rail study” Oct 15 ] extension from Ashford to Bexhill. However the earliest the Javelin service might arrive appears to be at least six years off, or possibly longer.
Photo: Rye News library