Rye Observer Comment: Leisure centre committee was far from broke

So why has Bexhill based Rother District Council decided to disband it?

That is the question rightfully posed by Rye district councillor Sam Souster.

As Sam says there should at least have been some consultation before the decision was made.

The cost cutting saves travelling expenses for one Rother officer twice a year. As far as we can see the benefits that group brought to Rye far outweigh the paltry saving in expenses. This will be seen as Bexhill dictating to Rye yet again.

THE supermarket roller coaster thunders on this week with Rye Town Council taking a rather different stance than it did in the past and rejecting both applications.

Many of the members of the public who spoke out at this week’s meeting are directly affected as they live close to the proposed development. Their concerns are undertsandable but they are not representative of the vast majority of people in Rye who are desperate for more choice and cheaper groceries and are currently driving out of town for their weekly shop.

It is a tricky act balancing the need for a new supermarket with valid concerns over design, road safety and the affect on those nearby,

We can see the council’s position - there is only one chance to get the design right - once the supermarket is built it is there.

But you could also argue that any building that serves the local community has to be better than a patch of land that has stood empty and derelict for almost a decade.

Of course it is Rother Council’s planning committee that will have the final say on this.