Rother District | |
---|---|
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Constituent country | England |
Region | South East England |
Non-metropolitan county | East Sussex |
Status | Non-metropolitan district |
Admin HQ | Bexhill-on-Sea |
Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
Government | |
• Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
• Body | Rother District Council |
• Leadership | Leader and Cabinet (Rother Alliance) |
• MPs | Huw Merriman Sally-Ann Hart |
Area | |
• Total | 197.6 sq mi (511.8 km2) |
• Rank | 90th (of 309) |
Population (2021) | |
• Total | 93,108 |
• Rank | 261st (of 309) |
• Density | 470/sq mi (180/km2) |
• Ethnicity | 98.1% White |
Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
ONS code | 21UG (ONS) E07000064 (GSS) |
OS grid reference | TQ7388508555 |
Website | www |
Rother is a local government district in East Sussex, England. Its council is based in Bexhill-on-Sea. The district is named after the River Rother which flows within its boundaries.
The District of Rother was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Bexhill, the Municipal Borough of Rye and Battle Rural District. It is one of three districts within the county without borough status and is the easternmost one: the other two being Lewes to the west, and Wealden in the centre. The borough of Hastings lies surrounded by Rother.
Rother District Council | |
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Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
Deputy Leader | |
Structure | |
Seats | 38 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Elections | |
First past the post | |
Last election | 2 May 2019 |
Next election | May 2023 |
Meeting place | |
Town Hall, London Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN39 3JX | |
Website | |
www |
Rother District Council is elected every four years, with currently 38 councillors being elected at each election. From 1983 until 2019, the Conservatives have had a majority on the council, apart from between 1991 and the 1999 election when no party had a majority.
Since 2019, the 'Rother Alliance' has controlled the council, formed of a mixture of Independent, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green Party councillors. [2] [3]
The council is often criticised by its residents.
Party | Councillors | |
Conservative Party | 14 | |
Independent | 13 | |
Liberal Democrats | 7 | |
Labour Party | 3 | |
Green Party | 1 | |
The council is based at Bexhill Town Hall on London Road in Bexhill, which was built in 1895 for the Bexhill Urban District Council, which became Bexhill Borough Council in 1902. The building continued to serve as the seat of local government following the reorganisation in 1974 which created Rother District.
Bexhill has nine wards: the remaining councillors represent the other 11 wards.
Ward | Population (2007) | Councillors | Ratio |
---|---|---|---|
Battle Town | 4919 | 2 | 2460 |
Brede Valley | 4698 | 2 | 2349 |
Central (Bexhill) | 5106 | 2 | 2553 |
Collington (Bexhill) | 4292 | 2 | 2146 |
Crowhurst | 2546 | 1 | 2546 |
Darwell | 4901 | 2 | 2451 |
Eastern Rother [includes Winchelsea and Camber] | 4817 | 2 | 2409 |
Ewhurst and Sedlescombe | 2382 | 1 | 2382 |
Kewhurst (Bexhill) | 4500 | 2 | 2250 |
Marsham | 3736 | 2 | 1868 |
Old Town (Bexhill) | 3780 | 2 | 1890 |
Rother Levels [includes Northiam and Peasmarsh] | 4627 | 2 | 2314 |
Rye | 4108 | 2 | 2054 |
Sackville (Bexhill) | 4577 | 2 | 2289 |
St Marks (Bexhill) | 4590 | 2 | 2295 |
St Michaels (Bexhill) | 4629 | 2 | 2315 |
St Stephens (Bexhill) | 4366 | 2 | 2183 |
Salehurst | 4430 | 2 | 2215 |
Sidley (Bexhill) | 5333 | 2 | 2667 |
Ticehurst and Etchingham | 4168 | 2 | 2084 |
Total Rother | 86505 | 38 | 2276 |
The lowest level of local government is the civil parish: there are 29 within the Rother District [4] which are:
Parish | Type | Area (sq mi) | Population (2007) | Pop Density /sq mi |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ashburnham and Penhurst | Parish Council | 22.4 | 370 | 43 |
Battle | Town Council | 31.8 | 6171 | 503 |
Beckley | Parish Council | 22.8 | 1012 | 115 |
Bexhill-on-Sea | Town Council | 32.3 | 41173 | 3300 |
Bodiam | Parish Council | 6.5 | 391 | 156 |
Brede | Parish Council | 17.6 | 1715 | 252 |
Brightling | Parish Council | 19.8 | 366 | 48 |
Burwash | Parish Council | 30.1 | 2511 | 216 |
Camber | Parish Council | 14.1 | 1229 | 227 |
Catsfield | Parish Council | 12.2 | 805 | 171 |
Crowhurst | Parish Council | 10.1 | 859 | 219 |
Dallington | Parish Council | 7.9 | 310 | 102 |
Etchingham | Parish Council | 13.4 | 747 | 145 |
Ewhurst | Parish Council | 23.6 | 1052 | 115 |
Fairlight | Parish Council | 6.1 | 1682 | 711 |
Guestling | Parish Council | 15.9 | 1273 | 207 |
Hurst Green | Parish Council | 10.4 | 1451 | 362 |
Icklesham [includes Winchelsea and Rye Harbour] | Parish Council | 23.5 | 2804 | 309 |
Iden | Parish Council | 12.0 | 457 | 98 |
Mountfield | Parish Council | 15.3 | 573 | 97 |
Northiam | Parish Council | 14.5 | 2094 | 374 |
Peasmarsh | Parish Council | 15.8 | 1167 | 191 |
Pett | Parish Council | 6.5 | 781 | 311 |
Playden & East Guldeford | See note | 16.6 | 327 | 51 |
Rye | Town Council | 4.2 | 4108 | 2564 |
Rye Foreign | Parish Council | 3.9 | 354 | 238 |
Salehurst and Robertsbridge | Parish Council | 18.2 | 2588 | 369 |
Sedlescombe | Parish Council | 12.6 | 1330 | 273 |
Ticehurst | Parish Council | 32.5 | 3421 | 272 |
Udimore | Parish Council | 11.7 | 365 | 81 |
Westfield | Parish Council | 19.1 | 2618 | 355 |
Whatlington | Parish Council | 6.0 | 401 | 172 |
Total Rother | 509.4 | 86505 | 440 |
Playden and East Guldeford are merged in the statistical analysis although they are both civil parishes in their own right. Playden has a Parish Council whilst East Guldeford holds a Parish Meeting. Ashburnham and Penhurst are also separate parishes.
Rother District covers two areas of relief: to the south, a section of the High Weald; and to the north the lower land, named the Rother Levels, across which flow the River Rother, which rises on the Weald and flows easterly towards Rye Bay, and its tributaries. For much of the course of the main river it constitutes the boundary between East Sussex and Kent, and is given the alternative title of the ’’Kent Ditch’’. Tributaries of the river include the Rivers Dudwell, Tillingham and Brede.
The district reaches the coast in the vicinity of Bexhill, and on the shores of Rye Bay.
Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate). [5]
Climate data for Rother, UK | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | 8 (46) | 8 (46) | 11 (52) | 13 (55) | 17 (63) | 19 (66) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 18 (64) | 14 (57) | 10 (50) | 7 (45) | 14 (57) |
Average low °C (°F) | 1 (34) | 1 (34) | 3 (37) | 4 (39) | 6 (43) | 9 (48) | 12 (54) | 11 (52) | 9 (48) | 6 (43) | 3 (37) | 1 (34) | 6 (43) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 43 (1.7) | 30 (1.2) | 28 (1.1) | 43 (1.7) | 28 (1.1) | 41 (1.6) | 89 (3.5) | 38 (1.5) | 61 (2.4) | 48 (1.9) | 43 (1.7) | 66 (2.6) | 550 (21.8) |
Average precipitation days | 21 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 232 |
Source: Weatherbase [6] |
Rother has one of the oldest populations (with a median age of 52 years) [7] and the lowest per capita income [8] in the UK.
There are several main roads crossing the district. The major trunk road is the A21, London to Hastings road; it is joined by the A28 road from Ashford road near Hastings; which in turn is crossed by the A268 Hawkhurst to Rye road. There is also the A259 coastal route
The Hastings Line, East Coastway Line and the Marshlink Line are the three railway lines in the District; The Kent and East Sussex Railway tourist line terminates at Bodiam.
Long-distance footpaths include the Sussex Border Path; and the Saxon Shore Way, which links with the 1066 Country Walk.
Major landmarks include Bodiam and Camber Castles; and Battle Abbey.
Hastings is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, 24 mi (39 km) east to the county town of Lewes and 53 mi (85 km) south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place 8 mi (13 km) to the north-west at Senlac Hill in 1066. It later became one of the medieval Cinque Ports. In the 19th century, it was a popular seaside resort, as the railway allowed tourists and visitors to reach the town. Today, Hastings is a fishing port with the UK's largest beach-based fishing fleet. It has an estimated population of 92,855 as of 2018.
East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Sussex is the city of Brighton and Hove.
The River Rother flows for 35 miles (56 km) through the English counties of East Sussex and Kent. Its source is near Rotherfield in East Sussex, and its mouth is on Rye Bay, part of the English Channel. Prior to 1287, its mouth was further to the east at New Romney, but it changed its course after a great storm blocked its exit to the sea. It was known as the Limen until the sixteenth century. For the final 14 miles (23 km), the river bed is below the high tide level, and Scots Float sluice is used to control levels. It prevents salt water entering the river system at high tides, and retains water in the river during the summer months to ensure the health of the surrounding marsh habitat. Below the sluice, the river is tidal for 3.7 miles (6.0 km).
The Kent and East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) refers to both a historical private railway company in Kent and East Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company.
Rye is a small town and civil parish in the Rother district, in East Sussex, England, two miles from the sea at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede. In medieval times, as an important member of the Cinque Ports confederation, it was at the head of an embayment of the English Channel, and almost entirely surrounded by the sea.
Wealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England. Its council is based in Hailsham. The district's name comes from the Weald, the remnant forest which was once unbroken and occupies much of the centre and north of the area.
Tenterden is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the remnant forest the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother. It was a member of the Cinque Ports Confederation. Its riverside today is not navigable to large vessels and its status as a wool manufacturing centre has been lost. Tenterden has several voluntary organisations, some of which are listed below, a large conservation area and seven large or very old public houses within its area. It has long distance walking and cycling routes within its boundaries.
Burwash, archaically known as Burghersh, is a rural village and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. Situated in the High Weald of Sussex some 15 miles (24 km) inland from the port of Hastings, it is located five miles (8 km) south-west of Hurst Green, on the A265 road, and on the River Dudwell, a tributary of the River Rother. In an area steeped in history, some nine miles (14 km) to the south-east lies Battle Abbey and eight miles (13 km) to the east is Bodiam Castle.
Bodiam is a small village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. It lies in the valley of the River Rother, near to the villages of Sandhurst and Ewhurst Green.
Hastings and Rye is a constituency in East Sussex represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Sally-Ann Hart of the Conservative Party. From 2010 until 2019, it was represented by Amber Rudd, who served as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Minister for Women and Equalities, Secretary of State for the Home Department and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under the governments of David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
Crowhurst is an isolated village situated five miles (8 km) north-west of Hastings in East Sussex. It has a parish council and is located within the Rother District Council.
East Guldeford is a village and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. The village is located one mile (1.6 km) east of Rye on the A259 road. The parish is controlled by a parish meeting. It is in the civil parish of Playden. The parish church is dedicated to St Mary. It was consecrated in 1505.
Ewhurst is a civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. The parish is on the southern ridge of the River Rother valley, and much of the northern boundary of the parish follows the river. The centre of the parish is 24 miles (40 km) east-northeast from the county town of Lewes, and 9 miles (14 km) north from the coastal town of Hastings.
Northiam is a village and civil parish in the Rother district, in East Sussex, England, 13 miles (21 km) north of Hastings in the valley of the River Rother. The A28 road to Canterbury and Hastings passes through it.
Playden is a village and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. The village is located one mile (1.6 km) north-west of Rye.
Sussex is a historic county and cultural region in the south of England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, north-east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West Sussex and East Sussex and the city of Brighton and Hove. The city of Brighton & Hove was created a unitary authority in 1997, and was granted City status in 2000. Until then Chichester had been Sussex's only city. By convention, Chichester is Sussex's capital city and Lewes is Sussex's county town.
Rye railway station was a terminal station on the Rye and Camber Tramway in East Sussex, connecting Rye to Camber.
Staplecross is a village in the civil parish of Ewhurst and the Rother district of East Sussex, England. Staplecross is the largest settlement in Ewhurst parish, and is on a southern ridge of the valley of the River Rother which flows through Bodiam at the north of Staplecross. The village is in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In 2011 it had a population of 760.
Cripps Corner is a village in the civil parish of Ewhurst and the Rother district of East Sussex, England. It is in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and on a southern ridge of the valley of the River Rother which flows through Bodiam, 2.5 miles (4 km) to the north of Cripps Corner.
Coordinates: 50°50′59.24″N0°28′13.81″E / 50.8497889°N 0.4705028°E