Fear that empty centre could 
attract vandals

The council has raised the concern with Rother District Council’s planning department and says it also fears the building could become an eye-sore if left empty.

Rother’s planning committee met yesterday (Thursday) to consider an application from South Coast College Hastings to demolish modern extensions and an art block on the site and create three residential units and a new building for two flats.

The College has said it cannot take bookings from local groups after the end of January.

Principal Sue Middlehurst has stressed that this is to allow time for renovations to take place, which would include new toilets.

She said: “We do not want to exclude community groups and are more than happy for them to use the building when we are not using it.”

In a letter to planners, Rye Town Clerk Richard Farhall said: “The Town Council’s concern is that the current owner, South Coast College Hastings has advised users of the facility (including the WEA) that it is not accepting bookings for dates after 31 January 2011.

“The suspicion is that the College is of the opinion that the sale of the whole site will be less problematic if there are no activities on it.

“In addition to the concern that the current users of the FE Centre will not be inclined to return once re-established at alternative accommodation, the fear is that once the Library (Grade II) has relocated from this site to the former Woolworth store in the High Street in January, the site could remain empty and neglected for some time. Abandoned sites attract those intent on criminal damage and deteriorate quickly – the impact of which would be exacerbated due to the site’s prominent position within the Conservation Area, next to the Town Hall (Grade II) and St Mary’s Church (Grade I).

“The lapse of time between the granting of planning permission and relocation of the library – the cessation of bookings within the FE Centre, the site going on the open market, the completion of the sale and the eventual commencement of a ‘material operation’ could be considerable.

“During this period the site might rapidly become an eyesore. This could be avoided if Rother District Council was able to find a way of ensuring that community activities continue to be carried out on the site – primarily within the eastern section of the FE Centre – at all times.

“Could the Agreement proposed be re-drafted so that it comes into effect at a point prior to the carrying out of a ‘material operation’ – for example, from the date planning permission was granted or, if necessary, the actual relocation date of the Library?

“A further concern is that if the College is allowed to cease community use within the eastern section on January 31 2011 there could not only be no community use up to the point of a ‘material operation’, a new owner of the site is unlikely to be in a hurry to permit the reintroduction of community use whilst a residential housing development is in progress.

“The Town Council considers that a way needs to be found to ensure that the community use currently in place at the FE Centre continues without interruption. If this cannot be achieved the Rye Citadel could find itself with a prominent, run down site, devoid of community use, for up to four years – perhaps beyond.”