Rother District Council
The neighbouring districts are Wealden, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, Folkestone and Hythe, and Hastings. Aside from its coast, Hastings is surrounded by Rother.
History
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
- Battle Rural District
- Bexhill Municipal Borough
- Rye Municipal Borough
The new district was named Rother after the River Rother which flows through the district.
Governance
Rother District Council | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
Doug Oliver, RAOIC since 22 May 2019 | |
Lorna Ford since May 2023 | |
Structure | |
Seats | 38 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Elections | |
First past the post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
Meeting place | |
![]() | |
Town Hall, London Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN39 3JX | |
Website | |
www |
Rother District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by East Sussex County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since the 2019 election, being led by a coalition called the 'Rother Alliance' comprising Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens and some of the independent councillors. The independents in the Rother Alliance formed a local political party in January 2023 called the 'Rother Association of Independent Councillors' (RAOIC).
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Independent | 1974–1979 | |
No overall control | 1979–1983 | |
Conservative | 1983–1991 | |
No overall control | 1991–1999 | |
Conservative | 1999–2019 | |
No overall control | 2019–present |
Leadership
The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ivor Brampton | Conservative | 17 Jan 2001 | ||
Graham Gubby | Conservative | 2001 | 6 May 2007 | |
Carl Maynard | Conservative | 23 May 2007 | 22 May 2019 | |
Doug Oliver | Independent | 22 May 2019 | 31 Jan 2023 | |
RAOIC | 31 Jan 2023 |
Composition
Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:
Party | Councillors | |
---|---|---|
Conservative | 10 | |
Rother Association of Independent Councillors | 8 | |
Labour | 8 | |
Liberal Democrats | 7 | |
Green | 3 | |
Independent | 2 | |
Total | 38 |
The next election is due in 2027.
Premises
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.
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 38 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing one or two councillors. Elections are held every four years.
Parishes
The lowest level of local government is the civil parish; there are 34 within Rother. The parish councils for the three parishes of Battle, Bexhill-on-Sea and Rye take the style "town council". The two parishes of Ashburnham and Penhurst share a grouped parish council. The parish of East Guldeford has a parish meeting rather than a parish council due to its small population.
- Ashburnham
- Battle (town)
- Beckley
- Bexhill-on-Sea (town)
- Bodiam
- Brede
- Brightling
- Burwash
- Camber
- Catsfield
- Crowhurst
- Dallington
- East Guldeford
- Etchingham
- Ewhurst
- Fairlight
- Guestling
- Hurst Green
- Icklesham (includes Winchelsea and Rye Harbour)
- Iden
- Mountfield
- Northiam
- Peasmarsh
- Penhurst
- Pett
- Playden
- Rye (town)
- Rye Foreign
- Salehurst and Robertsbridge
- Sedlescombe
- Ticehurst
- Udimore
- Westfield
- Whatlington
Geography
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
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).
Climate data for Rother, UK | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °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) |
Mean daily minimum °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 |
Demographics
Rother has one of the oldest populations (with a median age of 52 years) and the lowest per capita income in the UK.
Transport
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.
Landmarks
Major landmarks include Bodiam and Camber Castles; and Battle Abbey.
References
- ^ UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Rother Local Authority (E07000064)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "Chairman 2024/25". Rother District Council. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ "Council minutes, 22 May 2019" (PDF). Rother District Council. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- ^ "Rother appoints new Chief Executive". Rother District Council. 1 August 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "Election maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Rother District Council's new leader confirmed as parties form alliance". www.bexhillobserver.net. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- ^ "Rother Association of Independent Councillors". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ "England council elections". BBC News Online. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Council minutes". Rother District Council. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- ^ "Death of leader - statement from Rother DC". Local Government Chronicle. 22 January 2001. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Gubby to stand down". Sussex World. 1 February 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- ^ "New leaders of Rother are crowned". Sussex World. 25 May 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
- ^ "The Rother (Electoral Changes) Order 2016", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2016/1236, retrieved 25 June 2023
- ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Parish council contact details". Rother District Council. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ Climate Summary for Rother, UK
- ^ "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on July 9, 2013.
- ^ ONS - Median age for local authorities, mid 2015
- ^ ONS https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/annualsurveyofhoursandearnings/2018 and data tables