News and Events

Next Council Meeting:

Monday 27 January 2020

Full Council Meeting

Planning and Townscape Committee Meeting

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Rye High Street – Kerb and Road Repairs

East Sussex Highways will be undertaking kerb and road repairs on the High Street overnight over the following periods:

20th – 27th January 2020 – Kerb repairs

17th – 21st February 2020 – Road repairs

The High Street will be closed to through traffic between 8pm and 6am each night, from Landgate to the end of The Mint.Traffic will be diverted via Landgate, Fishmarket Road, South Undercliff and vice versa.

For further information visit: https://www.eastsussexhighways.com/highway-schemes/high-street-rye-roadworks-2020

Rother District Council Budget Consultation for 2020

Rother District Council is consulting on its budget for 2020/21,  and has to find over £3 million in savings.

In particular, Rother District Council would like to hear your response on the options to change how their services are delivered.  This work will be delivering a substantial part of their proposed savings.  All the options have the potential to have an impact on residents in the parishes and towns in Rother.

Please go to –  http://www.rother.gov.uk/budget2020 – for more information.  This consultation is open to 31 January 2020.

Christmas Refuse Collection Information

Rother District Council say no rubbish and recycling calendars will be sent to residents this Christmas. There will be changes to collections from 25 December to 11 January 2020. After this date collections will return to their normal collection day, the same day their rubbish and recycling has been collected on during 2019.

Here is the calendar of dates of collections – Rother Christmas bin dates 2019

What is happening to my rubbish and recycling collections over Christmas?

• There are changes to collection days from 25 December (Christmas Day) to Saturday 11 January inclusive
• From Monday 13 January Collection days will return to the same days as in 2019
• As in previous years Garden waste collections are suspended from 25 December (Christmas Day) to 7 January – they will start again from 8 January 2020.

The Future of Rye Heritage Centre

At a meeting held on 28 October, Rye Town Council decided that it could no longer delay taking action to address the substantial public subsidy required to support the Heritage Centre, home of the Town Model Sound & Light Show, a visitor information service, audio tours and Old Pier Amusement Machines.

Since the loss of visitor information funding from Rother District Council 10 years ago, the Town Council has struggled to run the Centre without placing an excessive burden on Rye Council Tax payers.

Despite reducing expenditure, re-merchandising and changing the retail offer in order to support local producers, the Centre has continued to be impacted adversely by factors outside of its control. Visitor numbers are affected not only by the weather but also postponed Brexit deadlines, which have resulted in a significant number of overseas students group Model booking cancellations this year. Additionally, the £12,500 a year business rates payable on the premises has not been helpful.

The level of subsidy required has continued to rise. Over the last 3 years it has averaged £22,000pa and, without urgent action, is forecast to reach a similar figure this year.

At the Council meeting, members of the public voiced their concerns about the possibility of visitors and residents no longer having access to the Town Model, a much-loved visitor attraction for some 40 years, as well as the impact of a closure of the Centre on neighbouring businesses.

Those present were advised that the Council had explored alternative locations for the Model and different governance structures for the Centre, without success. The need to subsidise the Centre at £22,000pa had depleted the Council’s reserves, which resulted in the suspension of grant giving to community organisations, an asset disposal and two vacant posts being left unfilled.

Members of the public were assured that their comments would be considered before the Town Council made a final decision on the future of the Centre and were advised that the Council’s priority is to ensure the continued provision of a face-to-face visitor information service in the town.

After careful consideration, the Council reluctantly concluded that, to protect the interests of local Council Tax payers and the Council’s other services, as from April 2020 the visitor information service should be relocated to the Town Hall, the Centre should be let and the Town Model should, if necessary, be placed into storage.

However, should any members of the community express a desire to work up a proposal to keep the Model at the Centre, the Council would be happy to provide support and guidance. Because a local charity has expressed interest in renting the Centre for another purpose, any such proposal would need to be agreed with the Council no later than 31 December.

Additionally, the Council welcomes any suggestions for alternative locations for the Model, probably as a static exhibit.

Richard Farhall     (richard.farhall@ryetowncouncil.gov.uk)

Rye Town Clerk

Audit 2019

Notice of Conclusion of Audit 2019

Getting Married at Rye Town Hall

For more information and to download an information pack – click here.