Instead, it is likely the money will be ploughed into promoting the town to attract more tourists.

Part of the plan involves hiring an expert to offer practical support to events in the town and help promote and organise new events.

Rye has been without a Town Manager for more than a year now after the then manager Yolanda Laybourne was at the centre of an undisclosed employment dispute.

Rother Council's regeneration officer Graham Burgess had confirmed that Yolanda would not be returning to Rye but said the post would still be funded.

A Rye Partnership insider said, at the time: "There was a serious staffing problem relating to who the Town Manager was answerable to and it could not be resolved."
A number of key groups in Rye have submitted their own plans for how the town should be marketed but they have failed to reach a unanimous consensus.

Rother Council has said the favoured recommendation comprised elements of plans submitted by two groups - Rye Town Services and 1066 Country.
These include:

* A simplified visitor map.
* A huge PR campaign with press launches and media releases.
* An integrated web site for the town.

Rye Town Council wanted to use the Town Manager's budget to appoint a town co-ordinator who would also have the task of developing the town's Local Action Plan, but this did not find favour with other groups in the town.