Comment

Representation ID: 26213

Received: 24/07/2024

Respondent: New Road Artists Association

Number of people: 3

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND PRINCIPLES – RESPONSE TO Q65/67 and Q84
We very much support the policies in this section (DEV4) that seek to retain sites of community and economic value and that require evidence that there is no prospect of continued use if there are development proposals to replace them. We feel it is very important that this policy is applied to the Rye Creative Centre site, listed as site H7 in Figure 28 of the draft Plan. The assessment of this site in the HELAA must also acknowledge its established use for employment, community and cultural activities. As far as we are aware, Rye Neighbourhood Plan makes no reference to the fact that the site is currently in use for both employment (it provides a base for 35 small creative businesses) and for a variety of community uses and cultural activities. Throughout the Neighbourhood Plan process it was considered purely as a former school site. The RCC site was not treated in the same way as the former Tilling Green School Site, which the Rye NP identified as presently containing community facilities. Accordingly, in that case, the relevant Rye NP Policy H3 makes provision for the community facility to be retained or replaced as part of any development of the site. Any development of the Rye Creative Centre site should contain similar provisions to replace or retain the existing studio/work units and the community facilities.