homes are branded a hazard to health

There is mounting anger in the town about the state of boarded up homes at Ferry Road which people claim are now becoming an environmental health hazard and attracting rats.

Properties bought up by Sainsbury’s and Tesco, to make way for a new supermarket entrance have been falling into a derelict state and attracting rodents and vandals say concerned residents.

This week Rye Town Council’s planning committee voted to request that Rother Council asks both supermarkets to improve the appearance of their properties adjoining the site and ask Environmental Health to inspect the empty properties to assess the levels of litter, fly-tipping and rodent activity.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: “The gardens are overgrown and there have been rats. “Sainsbury’s did send someone down to lay rat poison but then there were dead rats just laying in full view in the gardens, which is not nice for kids to see as they walk to the primary school or college. It is becoming a health hazard.”

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Another upset resident commented: “Those homes are in a terrible state and growing worse all the time. People here are worried about the vandalism it is attracting and generally feel unsafe.

“The two big supermarkets have shown no consideration or respect at all for the people who live in this are or for our historic town.

“They come up with their attractive looking plans for a new supermarket and yet they are turning this corner of Rye into a slum. It is disgraceful.”

Rye Town Clerk Richard Farhall said: “Rye Town Council is very concerned that neither Tesco nor Sainsbury’s appears to be in a position to develop the former Thomas Peacocke Lower School site. In the meantime the various empty properties owned by both companies bordering the site are deteriorating rapidly and gardens are becoming overgrown.

“As well as presenting a poor impression to hundreds of thousands of visitors to our ancient town, upon which the local economy depends, this undesirable state of affairs has caused occupants of neighbouring residential properties to experience anxiety and uncertainty.

Rye Town Council contacted both supermarkets back on January 5 but say that so far the issues have not been addressed.

 A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said, on Wednesday: “We have recently appointed a contractor to carry out works on the properties owned by Sainsbury’s in Ferry Road, including repairs to the damaged hoarding at the entrance to the former Lower School site.

“The contractor has ordered materials and will be starting on site as soon as possible. We will update the local community once the date to start the works has been confirmed.”

Should residents have any queries, they are encouraged to contact Sainsbury’s community information line on 0845 602 1151 or email [email protected].”

As yet there has been no news of further developments as to which supermarket will go ahead and build on the Lower School site.