Rye has had a working Neighbourhood (Development) Plan since mid 2019. This is a statutory planning document, approved by local referendum, which enables Rye Town Council to influence planning and development across Rye.
Background on Rye’s current Neighbourhood Plan
April 2026
Rye has had a working Neighbourhood (Development) Plan since mid 2019. This is a statutory planning document, approved by local referendum, which enables Rye Town Council to influence planning and development across Rye.
After 5 years in force, since late 2023, we have been reviewing the plan to reflect necessary changes including the development of new planning policy at national and District level.
By late October 2025, we had made progress but then Rother Planners queried the timeline and suggested that because government was pressing for higher housing targets, the plan could only run to 2028. Following discussions, it was agreed that the plan could run to 2031 if a higher target of 325 dwellings was reflected. The documents which chart this are below:
– Advice from Rother Planners and Rye’s response
– A note following a meeting between Rye and Rother
Once the papers are modified then a fresh Regulation 14 circulation will take place.
An aid to tracking the various versions of the Rye Neighbourhood Plan during its review period
November 2025 – Regulation 16 Consultation by Rother District Council
During the Regulation 16 consultation from 16 September to 28 October 2025, it was observed that some conflicting information had been published prior to the consultation suggesting that no changes had been made to the plan between Autumn 2024 and 21 July 2025. This was not the case as some modifications had been made on conclusion of the Regulation 14 consultation (from Jun to July 2025). Although this had been clearly indicated in the list of representations and the statement of modifications, to avoid the risk of a challenge, Rother District Council advised that a further Regulation 16 consultation should take place.
An aid to tracking the various versions of the Rye Neighbourhood Plan during its review period is available here
All papers are linked below:
RNP Review – Statement of Modification 21 Jul 2025
RNP Review (black ink) 21 Jul 2025
RNP Review (red ink) 21 Jul 2025
RNP Reg 14 – 21 Jul 25 Amended Representations
Rye NP – Updated Consultation Document 21 Jul 2025
RNP – Updated Basic Conditions 21 Jul 2025
September 2025 – Regulation 16 Consultation by Rother District Council
16 September – 28 October 2025
Rother District Council is carrying out a Regulation 16 Consultation for the Rye Neighbourhood Plan (Reviewed 2024) as submitted to them on 31 July 2025.
September 2025 – Regulation 15 Submission to Rother District Council
Following completion of the Regulation 14 consultation of the reviewed Rye Neighbourhood Plan, Rye Town Council moves to the next stage of the review, which is handled by Rother District Council – a Regulation 16 consultation from 16 September 2025 – to 28 October 2025.
Although we have taken the opportunity to make some minor editorial changes, it is important to note that there have been no additional policy changes or substantive text changes in the Neighbourhood Plan, compared to the version that was last consulted on in Autumn 2024. The main change is the inclusion of the required Modification Statement.
As the consultation closed on 21 July, there were four additional representations. These have been considered and where appropriate have been reflected in the latest version dated 21 July 2025.
The latest version with the supporting documents – updated statement of modifications, updated basic conditions statement, the representations and an updated consultation document– is linked below.
RNP – Fresh Regulation 14 version (black ink) post consultation
RNP – Fresh Regulation 14 version (red ink) post consultation
RNP Review – Statement of Modification 21 Jul 25
RNP Reg 14 – 21 Jul 25 Representations
Rye NP – Consultation Document 21 Jul 25
July 2025 – Fresh Regulation 14 consultation
Following the withdrawal of the plan from examination (reasons are covered below) Rye Town Council has produced a Modification Statement in the prescribed format and has managed a fresh public consultation (“Regulation 14″) of the Neighbourhood Plan.
It is important to note that there have been no additional changes to the Neighbourhood Plan, compared to the version that was last consulted on in Autumn 2024. The only difference is the inclusion of the required Modification Statement.
As the consultation closed on 21 July, there were four additional representations. These have been considered and where appropriate have been reflected in the latest version dated 21 July 2025. This version with the supporting documents – table of representations and updated statement of modifications – have been submitted to Rother DC for the next stage of consultation.
RNP – Fresh Regulation 14 version (black ink) post consultation
RNP – Fresh Regulation 14 version (red ink) post consultation
RNP Review – Statement of Modification 21 Jul 25
RNP Reg 14 – 21 Jul 25 Representations
Rye NP – Consultation Document 21 Jul 25
June 2025 – Fresh Regulation 14 consultation
Following the withdrawal of the plan from examination (please see below for explanation), Rye Town Council has produced a Modification Statement in the prescribed format and is managing a fresh public consultation (Regulation 14) on the Neighbourhood Plan.
It is important to note that there have been no additional changes to the Neighbourhood Plan, compared to the version that was last consulted on in Autumn 2024. The only difference is the inclusion of the Modification Statement.
If you provided comments to either of the previous public consultations on the neighbourhood plan review you do not need to re-submit them. All comments received to the first consultation (15 October – 26 November 2024) have been considered, and all those received to the second consultation (24 January – 7 March 2025) will be taken into account during the subsequent examination.
The period for making representations to Rye Town Council runs from 9am, Monday 9 June 2025 until 4.30pm, Monday 21 July 2025.
RNP – Fresh Regulation 14 version (black ink)
RNP – Fresh Regulation 14 version (red ink)
RNP Modification Statement – 4 June 2025
Rye Neighbourhood Plan Review Comments
RNP Review Consultation Statement (Fresh Reg 14 version)
DaSA Strategic Gap Background Paper
RNP Site Reassessment – reveiewed 26 June 2025
Examiners Preliminary Questions
Representations can be made by completing the form below:
- POST: Submit by post to: RNP Coordinator, Rye Town Council, Town Hall, Market Street, Rye, TN31 7LA.
- IN PERSON: Post by hand to Rye Town Hall.
April 2025 – Regulation 17: The Examination
The examination process (Regulation 17) began in mid-April, whereby the examiner posed preliminary questions to Rother District Council (RDC), relating to whether a “Modification Statement” had been provided in the format set out in legislation. A Modification Statement sets out all the changes proposed to be made to a Neighbourhood Plan through a Plan Review. Considering legal advice, RDC determined that unfortunately, the Modification Statement had not been provided in the prescribed format. As such, Rye Town Council took to the decision to withdraw the plan from examination and responded to the examiner thus:
Thank you for providing a copy of your Interim Conclusions.
I confirm that Rye Town Council wishes to withdraw the modified Plan and repeat the Regulation 14 consultation (including re-publishing a modification proposal – and a modification statement).
Best wishes, Richard Farhall, Town Clerk
To proceed, it is now necessary for the Neighbourhood Plan, together with a Modification Statement, to be subject to a new round of public consultations.
Rother District Council have advised that “it is unfortunate that the failure to provide the required statement of modification by Rye was overlooked by the LPA during all the earlier public consultations; this was due to an information gap, now rectified”
March 2025 – Regulation 16 Consultation
Following the closure of the Regulation 16 consultation on 7 March 2025, Rother Planners have now published the representations on the Rye Neighbourhood Plan page of the Rother website:
There are the 15 representations. These will now go, with the background, to the Examiner who will advise, likely in April, on the progress of his work. This is having formally received submission of the plan under Regulation 17 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012.
December 2024 – Conclusion of Regulation 14 Public Consultation
The Regulation 14 Consultation has now concluded and the responses have been considered and, if appropriate, been incorporated within the revised Rye Neighbourhood Plan, in preparation for the Regulation 16 submission.
Rye Neighbourhood Plan – Submission Version
This updated plan reflects all representations received during the Regulation 14 consultation and was endorsed by the Town Council at its meeting on 9 December 2024. It is now being submitted to Rother District Council for consideration, before progressing to the Regulation 16 Consultation.
Supporting documentation:
Rye Neighbourhood Plan Review Comments
Rye Neighbourhood Plan Review Consultation Statement
DaSA Strategic Gap Background Paper
October 2024 – Regulation 14 Public Consultation
The reviewed plan was put to Regulation 14 consultation from 15 October 2024 for six weeks:
Rye Neighbourhood Plan – Regulation 14 Version
September 2024 – Draft Revised Neighbourhood Plan
We have produced a draft and revised Rye Neighbourhood Plan. In early September 2024 this was shared with Rother District Council who consider that it has to go through the public consultation as advised by Locality and the regulations. This is because, though the revised plan has little amendment to the 2019 policies, it has significant edits to the text.
This consultation will involve:
- Regulation 14: (Autumn 2024) 6 week consultation on the Draft Review Version. All key documents will be made publicly available, and comments sought from the general public.
- Regulation 15: (January 2025) submission of the results to Rother District Council Planners.
- Regulation 16: Rother District Council consider the revisions and then arrange a further 6 week public consultation (early 2025).
- Regulation 17: after agreement between Rye and Rother, an examiner will be arranged by Rother to consider the revised plan.
- Regulation 18: (Spring 2025) the examiner might recommend changes and then either acceptance or that a further Referendum would be required.
- By late Spring 2025, the revised Rye Neighbourhood Plan “is made”.
July 2023 – May 2024 – Reviewing the Plan
After five years, the regulations state that any plan has to be reviewed. Locality, an organisation which provides the national membership network supporting local community planning organisations, sets out the process for the review.
In mid 2023, Rye Town Council reformed its Steering Group, which has been working on the review to meet Locality’s process.
RNPSG Meeting One – Minutes 10.07.23
RNPSG Meeting Two – Minutes 19.10.23
RNPSG Meeting Three – Minutes 27.11.23
RNPSG Meeting Four – Minutes 31.01.24
RNPSG Meeting Five – Minutes 27.03.24
Rye and Rother Planning Meeting 21.05.24
A key part of this work has involved keeping up to date with changes to national and district planning policy. Last year, the then government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Act received Royal Assent and set out a framework for the revision of national planning policy. This year, after a change of government, further change ensued and we now have a revised and draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
Concurrently, Rother District has been working to revise its 2006 Local Plan. This sets detailed policy for the whole district. However, for areas like Rye (with its own plan), Rother does not allocate development sites as Rye has already done that. However, Rother does set all the other detailed planning policy, such as for climate change, (called “Green to the Core”) and necessary social services (called “Live Well Locally”).
As the Rye Neighbourhood Plan has to conform to all higher policy, the Steering Group has remained engaged to assess all the changes necessary to ensure that Rye’s Plan continues to conform. We have studied and commented on both the emerging Rother Local Plan and the draft and revised NPPF.
We have also completed one significant piece of related work, a strategic review of all the sites around Rye considered by owners and developers to have potential for development. This work – the Rye Neighbourhood Plan Site Reassessment – completed in late 2022, has fed into Rother Dictrict Council’s work and has been reflected in the early stage of the revision of the Local Plan, known as the “Call for Sites” and the Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA).
Periodically there have been pieces written for Rye News to explain this work and related issues such as flood risk, the strategic gap (between Rye and Rye Harbour) and land instability. Throughout, Rye Town Council has underscored its determination to preserve the unique character of Rye, while delivering some social and open market housing and by improving policy to protect surrounding bio-diversity and landscapes, mitigate flood risk and implement climate change policy.