Part of plans to transfer a Rye leisure centre to a community enterprise are set to go in front of a senior county councillor next week.
On Friday (November 1), Cllr Nick Bennett, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for resources and climate change, is set to make a decision connected with plans to transfer the management of Rye Sports Centre to a new operator.
The plans began 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 not-for-profit enterprise intended to take over management of the sports centre and to safeguard the pool’s future.
While the swimming pool has since reopened, the enterprise is now in a position to take on the sports centre from Rother District Council.
To facilitate this, Cllr Bennett is being asked to agree for the 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).
