Councillor agrees new Rye Sports Centre lease

On Friday, November 1, Cllr Nick Bennett, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for resources and climate change, agreed to part of plans which could see the management of Rye Sports Centre transferred to a local charitable group.

To facilitate this, Cllr Bennett had been asked to agree for the county council, which owns the sports centre’s freehold, to enter into a 20-year lease with Rye Town Council. The town council then intends to sublease the leisure centre to Rye Health and Well-Being Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

This new lease would be expected to come into effect in April next year, subject to Rother District Council agreeing to terminate its existing lease and contractual agreements with Freedom Leisure, the sports centre’s current operator.

The proposals first emerged after high energy costs forced the temporary closure of the sports centre’s swimming pool in November, 2022.

In response a group of Rye residents, with the support of Rye Town Council, formed a the CIO – a not-for-profit enterprise – intended to take over management of the sports centre and to safeguard the pool’s future.

The decision was welcomed by council leader Keith Glazier, who also represents the area as its ward councillor. Cllr Glazier said: “I just want to say thankyou to the team here that have worked really hard with both Rye council, Rother District Council and the CIO.

“There is an awful lot of work that has been necessary for them to get to a position where we have some confidence. That is something which will see the sustainable delivery of a swimming pool in Rye for some years to come.”