We have detailed some key highlights from the Cabinet meeting, held on Monday 11th May 2026.
Licences to occupy public conveniences with Bexhill-on Sea Town Council & Rye Town Council
Cabinet members unanimously agreed to enter into licences for 10 public conveniences in Bexhill and Rye to ensure they can remain open while the council continues to work on devolving the facilities to town councils or leasing them out.
The licences for Bexhill-on-Sea Town Council and Rye Town Council give them the legal rights to maintain and operate facilities over a 12-month period, formalising arrangements that are already in place.
Cllr Hazel Timpe, portfolio holder for neighbourhood services, said: “The approval of licences to the respective town councils is a positive step and will enable the public conveniences to remain open until such time that the Council has arranged for the public conveniences to be devolved or leased to a commercial operator.”
Update on Community Grants Scheme and Next Steps
Cabinet members were given an update on the council’s Community Grants Scheme following the awarding of grants from the 2025/26 programme.
The Community Grants Scheme received 52 applications from Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) groups, parishes and VCSE/Parish partnerships in the latest round of grants and was able to allocate £98,913 to support 15 projects.
The report gave members the opportunity to consider lessons learned from the most recent round of grants and proposals for future rounds, including events to formally present grants.
Cllr Doug Oliver, Rother District Council leader said: “The Community Grants Scheme has been very successful in 2025/26 and funded a wide range of VCSE organisations and community groups to do vital work in our towns and rural areas. The proposals for events across the district to formally present the grants will provide an excellent opportunity to promote the work of the successful groups as well as our support of the VCSE. The capturing of lessons learned will enable improvements in the next years Grants Programme, to make it even more successful.”
Temporary Accommodation Programme Update
Cabinet members gave their backing to changes to the council’s Temporary Accommodation Capital Programme to reflect an additional £566,000 in grants from the latest round of the Homes England Local Authority Housing Fund.
An update was given on the current state of the district’s temporary housing situation and the council’s effort to reduce financial pressure by becoming less reliant on third party provision.
Councillors were told that by acquiring its own temporary accommodation, the council was not only saving money by lessening the use of Bed and Breakfasts and other more expensive accommodation but was also driving up standards of housing by not relying on the private sector where standards can often be variable.
Councillor Ruairi McCourt, portfolio holder for housing “The Temporary Accommodation Programme is a key part of the Council’s response to rising homelessness pressures and the escalating cost of nightly paid provision. The Programme is helping us increase the supply of good quality, self contained, Council owned accommodation, improving outcomes for residents while delivering significant value for money through reduced reliance on high cost placements. This report highlights continued progress against the Cabinet approved target and sets out how the Local Authority Housing Fund will support delivery of the remaining homes, including our responsibilities to provide genuinely settled accommodation for families under the Afghan Resettlement Programme.”
A final decision on amendments to the capital programme will be made by Full Council.
Published: 19th May 2026
