Is the Rye Plangrinding to halt?

The Steering Group have had communication problems in liaising with neighbouring parish councils and little progress has been made.

Speaking at Monday’s planning meeting at Rye Town Hall, Mayor Cllr Shaun Rogers said: “There have been a lot of detractors and we are getting fed up with it. It cannot go very far at the moment. We have been having a lot of meetings but not getting anywhere.”

The group currently holds its meetings behind closed doors but Cllr Rogers said: “Hopefully we can progress the plan in the next few months and take it out to the public.

“We need to get local parishes on board and Rother Council have been in touch with them.”

Rye, Rother councillor Sam Souster said: “There are a lot of problems to be overcome before the plan becomes a reality.

Colonel Anthony Kimber, who chairs Rye emergency group REACT, said: “It should not be underestimated how important this plan is to the people of Rye.

“Even if the adjacent parishes don’t agree we can still put text in the plan which Rother District Council has indicated it will take notice of in its wider planning.”

Cllr Granville Bantick said: “The importance of Rye having its own Plan cannot be underestimated.“Instead of local people being told what to do, local communities should have genuine opportunities to influence the future of the places where they live.”