Cllr to carry on despite moving

Cllr Smith said: “I need to inform you about the very difficult decision I have had to make, which is to move from Rye and away from the friends I have made here.

“My daughter will return to work shortly and has asked me to help look after my two grandchildren, aged nine months and four years. They live in South Leicestershire, too far for me to commute.

“I have no wish to inflict the not inconsiderable costs of a bye-election on the residents of Rye and will not do so. There are campaigns in the town in which I am involved and I am keen to carry on working for those campaigns for the future.

“I continue to care very much for Rye and naturally I wish to stay in the town whenever I can.

“Having made commitments, I will do my best to fulfil them, including attendance at full council meetings until the next council elections.

“I do not think, however, that it would be sensible for me to stand yet again for chairmanship of Public Services in May.

“I hope that people will understand the reasons for my decision.”

Cllr Smith is a Rye allotment holder and a key figure in Rye’s ongoing legal fight to win ownership of the town allotments.

She is also knowledgeable on public transport issues.

Cllr Smith was recently outspoken over the proposed design for a new cinema on the Lion Street FE Centre site which she criticised.