Councillor Nick Bennett, Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change, is scheduled to attend a remote meeting via Microsoft Teams to discuss the disposal of land adjacent to the Tilling Green Community Centre in Rye, and to award a building contract for the provision of new secondary school accommodation at Acre Wood Academy in Crowborough. The meeting will also cover decisions made at a previous meeting, and may move into a closed session to discuss exempt information.

Here are the topics that are scheduled to be discussed in the meeting:

Acre Wood Academy Expansion

Councillor Nick Bennett is scheduled to consider a report about awarding a building contract to Willmott Dixon for the construction of new secondary school accommodation at Acre Wood Academy in Crowborough.

The report notes that local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient good school places for all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). It says that the number of pupils with Education Health and Care Plans is on an upward trajectory, nationally and locally, which places significant pressure on the High Needs Block Funding¹ that the council receives to meet the educational needs of these pupils. The Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability approved the relocation and expansion of the secondary phase of Acre Wood Academy, and the lowering of the age range of the school to 2 years, at his decision-making meeting on 25 March 2025.

The council is responsible for delivery of the capital project, and the academy will be responsible for all running costs once the new building is handed over.

The report recommends that Councillor Nick Bennett approves the award of the building contract to Willmott Dixon, and delegates authority to the Chief Operating Officer to take all actions necessary to give effect to the recommendations in this report.

According to the report, the project is being funded largely through the High Needs Provision Capital Funding Allocation (HNPCA) that the council receives from the Department for Education (DfE).

The timeline for the construction of the secondary phase accommodation is targeted to complete by the end of December 2026, assuming the building contract is awarded by 2 October 2025. Education officers will work with the London Southeast Academy Trust (LSEAT) to plan for the first pupils to occupy the school in a phased manner with full occupation due in September 2027.

The report states that the council opted for a 'design and build' procurement approach to achieve faster project delivery, and to improve cost certainty, as well as foster enhanced collaboration between design and construction teams.

Tilling Green Community Centre Playing Field Disposal

Councillor Nick Bennett is scheduled to consider a report regarding the outcome of a public consultation on the proposed disposal of a playing field adjacent to the Tilling Green Community Centre in Rye.

The report notes that on 22 April 2025, Councillor Nick Bennett approved that the council commence consultation under Section 123(2A) of the Local Government Act 1972² to dispose of the playing field. The consultation focused on the intention to dispose of the playing field adjacent to Tilling Green Community Centre. The report clarifies that there is no intention to dispose of Tilling Green Community Centre itself.

The site is subject to a lease that includes a rolling Landlord break option, and is allocated for housing in the Rye Neighbourhood Plan, and is considered to be appropriate for the development of at least 20 dwellings, subject to various considerations.

The report says that the council gave public notice of the intention to dispose of the playing field. A notice was placed in the Hastings Observer for Rye for 2 consecutive weeks on 23 May 2025 and on 30 May 2025, giving a deadline of 16 June 2025 for objections to be made. Notices were also positioned around the boundaries of the playing field, and a notice was available to view online on the Public Notice portal.

According to the report, four written responses were received, with two supportive and two not supportive of the intention to dispose of the site.

The general theme of the objections is summarised as:

• Tilling Green does not need more houses, it needs a community space which people can use;
• If developed, there would be a further burden on the roads, infrastructure and flood risks in the area.

The two responses received in support of the intention to dispose of the site acknowledged that the site was allocated for housing in the Rye Neighbourhood Plan and outlined a preference for the site to be developed as affordable housing.

The report identifies two options for the site:

• Option 1: To retain ownership of the site and not exercise the Landlord's break option to bring the existing lease on it to an end.

• Option 2: To market the site for sale on the open market and to exercise the Landlord's break option to bring the existing lease on it to an end at an appropriate time.

The report notes that option 1 maintains the current use as playing fields associated with the Community Centre, but means that a key site identified for housing in Rye is not brought forward.

The report recommends that Councillor Nick Bennett approves option 2, to market the site for sale on the open market and to exercise the Landlord's break option to bring the existing lease on the site to an end at an appropriate time.

The report states that development of the site will be subject to the grant of planning permission. Rother District Council, as the local Planning Authority, will ensure that matters raised by local residents will be considered as part of the public consultation stage of the planning process, once a planning application has been submitted for approval.

The report also notes that the council has a duty to dispose of assets for the best consideration that can reasonably be obtained, in accordance with Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972, unless the Secretary of State consents to the disposal.

Decisions from the Previous Meeting

Councillor Nick Bennett is scheduled to review the decisions made at the previous meeting held on 12 August 2025. According to the minutes of the meeting, the Lead Member approved the minutes of the meeting held on 8 July 2025 as a correct record. The Lead Member also approved the proposed consultation response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0, and delegated authority to the Chief Finance Officer to make any further minor amendments and to submit the final response by 15 August 2025. Finally, the Lead Member resolved to declare the Phoenix Centre in Lewes to be surplus to the Council's requirements, and agreed that the property be let in accordance with s123 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Exclusion of Public and Press

The agenda includes a section to consider excluding the public and press from the meeting for the remaining agenda item. This is on the grounds that if the public and press were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as specified in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).