Are residentsunsafe at Rye’sTilling Green?

That was the claim being made by residents at the annual Rye Town Meeting.

Resident Mike Bell said: “Grass verges are being mutilated and pavements damaged by heavy vehicles driving over them.

“There are overgrown hedges at access roads and big holes in the verges. It makes it very dangerous.

“There is going to be a serious accident if nothing is done.”

Rye councillor Sam Souster said: “When that estate was first built there were not so many cars and the width of the roads is inadequate.

“There is no lighting there overnight and heavy ruts on the footpath.

“It is dangerous to walk down there.”

It was decided to switch off street lighting on the estate after 12am as part of an East Sussex County Council cost saving exercise.

County Council leader Cllr Keith Glazier said: “On lighting there may be some good news as we can now be up to date and use more low cost LED lighting, which we were told was not possible before.

“We have turned the lights back on in areas where the police said it was unsafe.”

Cllr Glazer urged residents to report problems such as damaged verges.

The other big concern to residents is the future of the Tilling Green Community Centre.

The centre is based in the old Tilling Green School but now the county council is disposing of the site, which has been ear-marked for more housing.

Part of the agreement is that the developers will provide a new purpose-built community centre but some residents fear it will be to small and lacking in space compared to the current building.

Resident John Wylie said: “This is a chance to get a community centre which will do us justice.”