Closed school re-opening for community

A RYE school which has been closed for two years is set to re-open as a community facility.

Rye Partnership has won a tender for a three year lease on the Tilling Green School building.

The primary school was closed, along with Freda Gardham School, to make way for the new purpose built Rye Primary School.

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Rye Partnership has joined forces with the Tilling Green Residents’ Association to re-open the building.

Since the primary school closed residents have been campaigning for the school to be used as a community facility.

Tilling Green Residents’ Association undertook a series of consultation exercises on the estate including a fun day, during which residents were asked for their ideas on how the site could be used.

The project will be led by the Rye Partnership overseen by a steering group of stakeholders that includes the Tilling Green Residents’ Association, Rother Voluntary Action, Action in Rural Sussex, Ten Sixty Six Enterprise, Hastings Furniture Service and Amicus Housing Association.

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Capt. Paul Tyler, chairman of Tilling Green Residents’ Association, said: “With the loss of the school and the post office the estate was virtually stripped of facilities with only the two shops left. It really felt the heart had been taken from the estate.

“This is brilliant news and we look forward to working with the Rye Partnership and other members of the steering group.”

Rye Partnership director Cllr Sam Souster, who has been a champion for a community centre on the estate, said: “I would like to thank the Rye Partnership’s Chrissy Stower who has worked with all of the partners to put together an imaginative scheme to turn a redundant school into a multi-purpose centre for the community.

“It will give a much needed focus for Tilling Green estate, one of Rye’s largest areas of population. I look forward to being involved.”

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The project will incorporate the community space, so greatly desired by Tilling Green residents, within a broader facility designed to meet identified local needs including training facilities, youth support, local job seeking and small enterprise support facilities and a community cafe. By providing a mixed use facility the steering group believes the centre will meet the needs of the local community in a vibrant and viable way.

A number of agencies and community groups have already expressed an interest in running services and activities for the community from the building.

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