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Writer's pictureJane Brook

June Newsletter 2024

Election, loos, sports clubs, tourism, events - it's another bumper edition!


New member welcome:



Red Sofa with presenters
Sarah Broadbent on BBC South East Election Special

BBC South East Election Special

BBC South East approached us earlier this month to help research their election special on Rye & Hastings. We were first asked to provide potential locations for them to use for a live edition of the programme which we duly did, but sadly they chose not to use Rye but to locate their ‘red sofa’ on the seafront in Hastings instead. However we were asked to contribute to the programme and comment on the issues that our town’s businesses would most like to see the next Government address.


General Election 

We had hoped to meet with each of our candidates in the run up to the election to discuss their policy objectives for small businesses, however campaign schedules rendered that almost impossible so our B plan was to produce a list of business focused questions for them all to answer. Our questions challenged them for specific responses on a variety of issues that are top of your lists when it comes to running a business in the town in the current climate. We put them to our members for comment and then issued them to each of our eight candidates. Six out of eight candidates responded:


Sally Ann Hart, Conservative

Helena Dollimore, Labour

Guy Harris, Liberal Democrats

Lucian Fernando, Reform Party

Becca Horn, Green Party

Nicholas Davies, Communist Party of Britain


Here is a link to their answers to our TOP 10 QUESTIONS FOR BUSINESS please do take the time to read them prior to polling day on the 4th July


TOILET TALK!


Rye Town Council

We have attended two council meetings in the last month to put pressure on the council to both:

A) make quick refurbs of the closed public toilets in order to open them for the remainder of the season and

B) consider our proposal for the long term strategy of managing the public toilets in partnership with the Chamber.


Point A We’re delighted to say that as of the 27th June -  Strand Quay toilets have been reopened, thanks, in large part to the hard work of Cllr Andi Rivett who undertook the refurbishment of the loos himself to get them open again quickly. We’d like to extend our thanks to Andi personally, and also to the Town Council. Our town’s businesses are enormously grateful.


A further council meeting will take place on Monday 1st July to discuss the reopening of the Gun Gardens toilets for the remainder of the season.


Point B Please read our full update on the Levelling Up Funding (below) to get up to speed on all of the details pertaining to this. We met with a newly formed town council working group on Friday 28th June to discuss next steps.


We posted a video of our recent Loo Patrol on our Instagram and Facebook page:


1066 Country Marketing / Tourism Update


Chamber partners 1066 Country Marketing has reported very favourable feedback from a familiarisation trip organised in conjunction with London Gatwick for Chinese Tour Operators. The post-trip survey was to gather their insights and suggestions for attracting more Chinese tourists in the future. Rye and surrounds scored very well with a high satisfaction rate.

1066 also collaborated on a piece of editorial coverage about Rye that appeared in Women’s Weekly w/c 24th June. The piece mentions: The Ypres Tower, St Mary’s, Lamb House, Walking Tours, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, Marinos Fish Bar, The George, and the scallop festival! A great round up of some of our town’s treasures and attractions. 


Map for car parks

We are currently working with Rye Town Council to produce an updated version of the tourism information posters that appear in seven car park locations around the town. They need updating as they currently reflect a tourism information point that no longer exists.


Battle Chamber

We were shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of former Battle Chamber President - Andy Holter. Our thoughts are with his friends and family and of course with the town’s business community who worked with him.


 

Report on events in June


Littlegate Summer BBQ Event

We were delighted to attend Little Gate Farm’s summer BBQ on the 20th June. The event was well attended, bringing together around 90 people from Rye, Hastings, Eastbourne and Bexhill Chambers to learn about the excellent work that Littlegate Farm does and to network. It was lovely evening with a delicious BBQ and live music, stalls from local producers - wine, gin and chocolates -  and of course a fundraising raffle.  If you missed out, here's a short video we made for you!



🦀 Carbon Reduction Action Box


CRAB Session delivered in Rye

RYE

Following our announcement last month that we have secured funding to deliver CRAB workshops to all of our members free of charge (usually £50 per business), we held our first session earlier this month. Only two members took us up on the offer but they agreed that session was valuable and an enjoyable hour to share experience and exchange ideas. We will hold further workshops and we very much hope that more of you will take the opportunity to spend an hour producing a carbon reduction plan for your business. It’s a fun and accessible way of starting your carbon reduction journey, you don’t need any prior knowledge - just some knowledge about your business and an open mind. 



TENTERDEN

CRAB Session delivered in Tenterden

Having trained as facilitators to deliver CRAB sessions to businesses we have begun delivering workshops elsewhere in the region as a paid for service. We hosted our first workshop for two businesses in Tenterden earlier this month and the attendees commented that it was a ‘fun and productive session'.

 

LEVELLING UP FUNDING UPDATE


Given this process is so detailed and time consuming we thought we’d do a recap so that any new members joining us recently can keep up to speed. 


In February, after our successful lobbying, Rye & District Chamber of Commerce was awarded some funding from the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC). 


The total amount awarded to us is £85K. The amount is split into two different ‘pots’ of funding each of which have very specific and strict spending criteria as determined by central government. We have had no say in this, and we are unable to use the funds for anything other than has been set out by DLUHC.  If we do not spend the funds accordingly, and before March 2025, they will simply be returned to central government.


The two pots of funding are:


  • REVENUE (money that cannot be spent on assets):  £60K of revenue funding has been allocated to us to spend ONLY on a campaign to gain BID status for Rye. 

  • CAPITAL (money that can only be spent on assets): £25K has been allocated for us to spend ONLY on capital items that will improve the public realm. 


We can now update you on the latest for each of those funding pots:


REVENUE FUNDING:  The Business Improvement District (BID) Campaign


The first part of this process is to undertake a feasibility study to see whether there is support from Rye’s businesses to go for BID status. The Chamber has already undertaken a selection process to determine an agency best equipped to carry out the feasibility study. They have been appointed and will commence the study on the 22nd July. It has taken some time to get to this point because DLUHC has been incredibly slow (in part thanks to the election campaign) to finalise the funding agreements. This aspect is out of our control. 


CAPITAL FUNDING: Public Realm Improvements


We have spent the last four months researching and costing several different projects that we could allocate our £25K of capital funding to:


  • A town mural

  • Replacement tourism signage at station approach

  • Corrected and refurbed heritage signage around town 

  • New town boundary signs

  • Sustainable planting around town

  • The refurbishment of one of the, currently closed, public conveniences


Depending on final costings it is likely that we will organise the above into two options for you, our members, to vote on but we won’t be in a position to do that until we have the following finalised:


Option One:

We take on the refurbishment of one (doesn’t matter which) of the town’s public conveniences. The last set of condition reports provided by Rother District Council suggest that to bring any one of the four premises up to spec and future proof it would be somewhere between £17K and £20K. We could put our funding towards this BUT we will only be allowed to do this if we can find another means of paying for the cleaning of the loos. This is because our capital funding cannot be used for revenue costs (i.e. non assets so ongoing costs like cleaning). We have asked Rye Town Council to consider working with us on this and use money from its reserves to pay for the cleaning for one year after which time we are confident we will have either sponsorship in place or BID funding to pay for the cleaning going forward. Our refurbishment proposal will also include the installation of touchpay turnstiles so that revenues for use are generated to be used as a fund for their maintenance.  Rye Town Council voted unanimously at this week’s meeting to consider this with some urgency as we need to decide asap.


Option Two:

The improvement of station approach. The landscaping of the flowerbeds that are behind the bus stops, some fencing to prevent antisocial behaviour behind the loos, some sustainable planters, some welcome to Rye signage so that the first impression for those arriving at the town via the station is improved.

This project is being hampered by Rother District Council who only lease the land from the station and are now having to retrieve documents from the land registry to see if the terms of their lease will permit a sublet to us – the Chamber. So even the simplest of projects is fraught with unseen difficulties and is taking time.   


Obviously if funds permit, we will undertake both projects.  Please remember that we are very limited by what we can spend money on, so while some landscaping and planting may seem frivolous – we are prevented from undertaking projects may seem more vital. We know that some of you have suggested that potholes should come under ‘public realm improvements’ and while you may have a point, potholes are the responsibility of ESCC and as such aren’t something we can use the capital funding for.


We are also going to fund the replacement of the tourism information boards currently missing from outside the station. They need updating as the map and tourism information was incorrect, along with information about the public conveniences. Clearly, we cannot update the signage until there is a decision made about the loos so that we can correct the map accordingly.


Once again – we need to spend the Capital levelling up money by March 2025. If we haven’t done so the funds will be returned to central government. We have no say over this.


Once we have our final permissions and costs in place we will be in touch to ask our members to make the final spending decision via a vote.


BID FAQ's and how one would work in Rye:


What is a BID?

BID stands for Business Improvement District – it is a business-led and business funded body formed to improve a defined commercial area.


What is the point?

The benefits of a BID mean that money can be raised by businesses in a defined area and ring fenced for use ONLY in the BID area. This means businesses can make spending decisions and take on projects that will directly benefit the economy of their area.


How does it work?

The start point is a feasibility study to ask businesses in the area what they would like to see improved in order to help the town’s businesses thrive. 


It will specifically ask about things that aren’t the responsibility of Rother District Council or East Sussex County Council – so things like ‘mending roads’ won’t be possible – they fall beyond the remit of a BID. Think more along the lines of refurbishment of public loos, Christmas lights, tourism information, events, festivals and exhibitions, signage, public realm improvements, cctv and security, street cleaning, social media campaigns, a comprehensive town website – those are just a few ideas. Any project that has business benefits to the town can be considered.


Importantly a BID gives a town the leverage to apply for further funding in order to finance bigger and more ambitious town projects.


If enough businesses are supportive of the idea of a BID, then the next step is to develop a manifesto for achieving BID status.


An appropriate levy will be determined to be charged to all businesses in the defined area for raising funds. 


The manifesto will set out how the town’s goals will be met using the BID levy funds and a campaign will be run leading up to a democratic vote. The ballot is run by the local authority or outsourced by the local authority to a third party.

 

All businesses within the defined area will be asked to vote. If the vote is passed and BID status is achieved, a BID Board will be set up to run the BID. For the vote to be passed two criteria must be met:


  • the number of Yes votes must exceed the number of No votes

  • the rateable value of the Yes votes must exceed the rateable value of the NO votes


The revenue levelling up money we have been awarded will pay for the feasibility study, the BID campaign, the BID vote, the establishing of the BID board and the completion of all the governance requirements involved.


How is the levy determined?

There are some considerations depending on the type of BID that the outcome of the feasibility study might recommend:

 

If a town centre BID is the recommendation it will mean all businesses (including accommodation businesses) pay a levy based on their rateable value.  BIDs around the UK charge a levy of between 1-4% of business rateable value. To give some context the Hastings BID charges 1.6% and the Canterbury BID charges 1.6% and Tunbridge Wells BID charges 1.75%.


If an accommodation / town centre hybrid BID is recommended, then the accommodation businesses would likely instead pay a levy based on occupancy – a per night/unit charge bringing them in line with all other non-accommodation businesses who would pay a levy based on their rateable value.


What’s the difference between a Town Centre BID and an Accommodation / Town Centre BID?

A town centre BID would include all businesses who have a rateable value for business rates.


The feasibility study will explore the possibility of an Accommodation / Town Centre BID as this could include all Air BnBs in the area too who don’t have a rateable value for business rates.  


If a BID is achieved does every business have to pay a levy?

If BID status is achieved at the democratic vote, then yes, even if you didn’t vote in support of the BID your business will need to pay the levy. 


What area will it cover?

The feasibility study will determine the size of the area that the BID might cover but it will NOT include Rye Harbour. The feasibility study will talk to businesses in Camber as well as Rye.


Why aren’t you including Rye Harbour?

The business profile of those based in the business parks towards Rye Harbour are very different to those in town. They include shipping, manufacturing, and industry – so their improvement / spending needs are very different to those based in town. It would be very difficult to justify raising funds in Rye Harbour that were then spent on projects in the town and vice versa if we were to combine the areas into one BID. In due course it may be that we consider Rye Harbour taking on its own BID campaign as has been the case in many more industrial areas around the UK.


Rye town and Camber are much more focused on tourism, hospitality and retail and it makes best sense to group them together for the purposes of our feasibility study.


How is the money collected?

A town centre BID will mean that levies are collected via the local authority on behalf of the BID, in the same manner that business rates are collected. 


A hybrid bid would mean that the accommodation providers pay levies based on occupancy.


How is the money raised spent?

The BID board will have the responsibility of delivering the manifesto on which the BID was elected using the funds raised. It will meet with town businesses regularly to ensure targets are being met and to listen to new ideas for further projects. 


How long does a BID last?

A BID lasts a maximum of five years, beyond which a new campaign must be run and voted for in order for it to be renewed. 


Is an Accommodation BID like a tourist tax?

It is similar. There is no tourist tax in the UK unlike in other countries across Europe. A tourist tax cannot be introduced by a local authority in the UK, it would need to be introduced by central government and there is currently no suggestion that this will happen (unlike in Scotland and Wales where the devolved governments are looking at it). This is the reason that in England different areas like Dorset, and Cambridge are already using the Accommodation BID route to give them a means of raising funds locally for spending locally.


What are the next steps?

We will be meeting with the agency we’ve appointed on the 22nd of July to work through the timeline of the feasibility study and will update you in our next newsletter.


What if the outcome of the BID feasibility study is that it’s a ‘no go’ can we spend the levelling up money on something else?

No. If the feasibility study suggests that the BID won’t be successful and advises we shouldn’t pursue a BID campaign, then the remainder of the levelling up revenue fund will be returned to DLUCH. We have no say over this. 


 

Upcoming Events in July


Bowls Club Friendly Fundraiser - Saturday 6th July

We’re delighted to be hosting a fundraiser at Rye Bowls Club on Saturday 6th July 2-6pm. As many of you will already know the bowls club is under threat following Rother District Council’s decision to withdraw the funding that maintains the green. So come along on the 6th and have a friendly competition, or simply learn how to have a go - there will be members there to show you how it’s done!  Enjoy a glass of Pimms and a BBQ meal. Tickets are a minimum of £12 but you’re welcome to pay more as all profits will be going directly to the club. Book your tickets here.


Opening party Studio Stranded - Saturday 6th July

Before you head down to the Bowls Green, check out new members Studio Stranded who have a new exhibition of Mick Williamson’s work, including large scale limited edition prints and copies of his latest book, From The Photo-Diaries of Mick Williamson.

Don’t miss this exclusive book signing event and opening party 12 - 4 on the 6th July 2024.  For press enquiries, please contact info@studiostranded.uk


Cricket Club - Bat and Trap Evening - Friday 12th July

If tennis isn’t your thing - how about Bat and Trap?  The Cricket Club is hosting its first social event of the season on Friday 12th July. This is their famous Bat and Trap evening.  It runs from 6.30pm to 9pm and there will be a bar and BBQ. The event is free for existing cricket club sponsors AND CHAMBER MEMBERS!! 


Teams of six are needed to play but the club will pair you up to form a team if you can’t make one yourself - that’s where most of the fun lies!  The Cricket Club would really love to show you what they are doing off the field so if you can join them for this fun evening please email Martin on blicsfamily@aol.com or text 07535 5482006


And if you don’t know what Bat and Trap is - then where have you been?!  Check out this video from Shepherd Neame. 



The club recognises that many of you are in hospitality and might well not be able to come along for that reason - so rest assured there will be another social event during the first week of August to celebrate their Cricket Week!


Our next People Planet Pint event takes place on Monday 15th July at the Queen’s Head. If you’ve not been before you’re missing out! The evenings are sponsored by Krystal (an ethical web host company) and the first 33 drinks are free. The social events are simply a way of sharing ideas and best practice when it comes to making your business more sustainable. No prior knowledge is required - these evenings aren’t for science experts - they are for everyone! 

This month is going to be a ‘bumper edition’ of PPP as we’re doubling up with another great local sustainability initiative Green Drinks - which is run by Transition Rye. Double the chance to make some good contacts, double the chance to learn something new!  Do join us on July 15th at the Queen’s Head at 6pm - it will be a double event as PPP will be followed at 8pm by Green Drinks - hosted by Transition Rye - a good opportunity to network even more widely to share ideas and best practice on sustainability. 

RYE NEWS

If you didn’t already have reason enough to be in the Queen’s Head on Monday 15th July (see above!) - then here’s another! Our media partners Rye News are holding an informal ‘meet the team’ event from 7pm on the same night in the same venue! The more the merrier!  Rye News is on the hunt for new writers and contributors. It would love to recruit some more people to its team of fabulous volunteers who put together Rye’s local newspaper, with over six thousand readers a week and more than a million page views each year.

It’s an informal chance to meet the team over a drink, you can hear about how Rye News is put together each week, and grab your chance to tell them about the stories you’d like covered by the paper.

Rye News is looking to strengthen its team who bring those stories to our readers each week. You might be responding to a breaking news story or getting to the bottom of an important local issue. You could be reviewing a local event or landing an interview with someone special. Either way there’s no shortage of stories to cover, but they need you to help them do it!

Rye News readers aren’t just local, visitors from around the world log on to www.ryenews.org.uk each week. Thousands receive their email update and follow them on social media. They’ve big ambitions, but need your help to be the best local paper in Britain.


Charocol & Col workshop with Fizz at Tillingham - 18th July


Following on from the recent community outreach questionnaire, Tillingham launched their 2023 vintage at recent open event and it was a great success. If you missed that and are feeling arty you can enjoy a delicious glass of their Col at this art workshop.

 

SPOTLIGHT:

This month’s spotlight is on the Rye Lawn Tennis and Squash Club - we bet a good number of you haven’t ever discovered the club and everything it has to offer - with tennis season in full swing now is the time to get your tennis whites on and learn more. Even if your serve isn’t up to much maybe you’ve always fancied Padel tennis? Or a game of croquet - well the tennis club has you covered on both fronts.

Or if you’re more interested in watching a good game - then the annual tennis tournament will soon be here - read all about it here. Watch the instagram reel here.


 

NOT A MEMBER?

Join over 150 businesses who benefit from the work of the Rye Chamber. It costs just £50 a year - regardless on the size of your business. Visit our website to learn more.


 

See you next month!



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