Rother District Council, under the control of the ‘Rother Alliance’ coalition, which comprises Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens, and some independent councillors since 2019, has spent over £860,000 on their Town Hall Renaissance Project, yet the building remains largely unchanged.
The expenditure, revealed and mis-categorised as ‘Assets Under Construction’, covers consultancy fees, legal advice, surveys, and feasibility studies, but unbelievably, no physical redevelopment has actually taken place and nor will it ever see any of this money recovered, as the Council have voted to quietly sweep the expenditure under the rug.
The project was originally conceived as a mixed-use development, including space for council functions, civic facilities, and community areas designed to improve the council’s offices and kick start the revitalisation of Bexhill town centre. However, it was so badly planned, that parts of the scheme were refused planning permission by the Council’s own Planning Committee in 2022, and Rother Councillors are now describing the building as “not fit for purpose” for the originally intended uses.
Bexhill and Battle, Reform UK and many local residents have expressed outrage at the project since its inception, and now its lack of progress, particularly given continuing cuts to local services, is particularly frustrating. “It’s unbelievable that this much money has been spent with absolutely nothing tangible to show for it,” said one Reform UK member. “Meanwhile, other essential services are being cut. People are rightly furious.”
Council documents reveal that some contracts were authorised by officers under £25,000, a delegation permitted under council rules without Cabinet approval. Critics argue this may have allowed spending to continue without proper scrutiny, raising questions about governance and transparency at the Council. Several councillors reportedly say they were not aware of the total spend, further fuelling anger. “Councillors themselves didn’t even know how much had been spent. How can the public trust them?” said one Bexhill resident, when discussing the matter with Reform UK’s Bexhill and Battle, Chairman, Bernard Brown.
The project was presented and discussed at Cabinet earlier this year by Cllr Ruairi McCourt, the portfolio holder for housing, on 28 July 2025. While specific votes of individual councillors are not detailed in public records, the Cabinet includes members from across the Council’s ‘Rother Alliance’ coalition.
It’s now clear, that with the original plans stalled, that Rother District Council is now trying to cover up its failings and exorbitant spending by exploring using the Town Hall site for other usages. The latest plan, to remodel the site for temporary social housing, to provide accommodation for homeless residents and others in urgent need. Cabinet approved a further £45,000 to explore the feasibility for this conversion. While this may address urgent housing pressures, many residents see it as a makeshift solution to a project that has already absorbed significant public funds. “The building is not fit for purpose. We need to rethink what we do with it, but nearly £1 million already gone is shocking,” said one Councillor in the official Cabinet minutes.
Rother District Council already spends millions annually on temporary accommodation and social housing, including for asylum seekers and other migrants under government programmes. The Town Hall project now forms part of this broader strategy, but Reform UK argue it highlights poor financial planning and governance, especially when District councillors themselves appear unaware of the scale of expenditure.
The Town Hall Renaissance Project has become a flashpoint for local anger, illustrating a growing disconnect between council officers, elected members, and the public. Residents question not only the cost and lack of progress but also how a council with oversight powers could allow nearly £1 million to be spent without tangible results.
As debate continues, the future of the Town Hall remains uncertain, with scrutiny mounting over whether the council can deliver meaningful outcomes, or if the project will continue to remain a cautionary tale of mismanagement and misaligned priorities – with the project never likely to deliver tangible benefits for the thousands of residents living across the district, particularly those in rural parts of Rother.
Under Reform UK, the original redevelopment would never have been allowed to get off the ground, without a common-sense, commercially aware approach. Large-scale mixed-use projects typically require clear backing from industry and business partners, rather than relying on a “if we build it, they will come” mindset. By instead converting the Town Hall into temporary accommodation, something that could arguably have been done from the outset, Rother District Council, under the other parties, will have effectively wasted £1 million of your money, in a stunning display of financial mismanagement and leadership failure.
