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Bringing the conversation back to the proposed housing at the Heights - on Monday evening I spoke out at the Dover Society AGM, a wonderful society that as they stated are here for the past, future and present of Dover. I spoke about the fact that the Heights are an Ancient monument (which I am sure everyone knows by now), about the uniqueness of the area, the tranquillity and dare I say lack of (serious) crime and a feeling of safety for children (please bear in mind I am talking about the area where housing is currently situated) the fact that the houses there are of prefab construction and therefore rudimentally built with shallow foundations, any new housing up there will reduce the cost of the houses already there as they will not be built to the same spec, the current road is abysmal and when it snows - its a long walk up. I understood that the general feeling was originally that the private funding of these houses is THE only way of securing the future of the Grand Shaft and Drop Redoubt, although no promises have been made regarding reinvestment, though after the meeting I think views were much different. Dover has around 750 empty dwellings in the town, a Town centre that is slowly depleting, and Hotels that are struggling; anyone who would buy a house on the Heights, would go straight down Military Hill and shop in Folkestone (what a gain for Folkestone) the people that will buy in Farthingloe will probably do the same. Yes, the Grand Shaft and The Drop Redoubt need preserving, but the cost of putting faith in private funding is not the way. Many companies and people have previously bought the land and sold it on just as quick, no new developments have been given permission these last 10-12 years and there is no village sign to pay attention to the sterling work that the Western Heights Residents Association did to show that the Village of Braddon now exists. If Dover cannot invest in Dover and prefers to sell part of it of to private investment companies, historical areas at that, then what becomes of Dover for the future? So I say - keep the green parts and historic areas that Dover has, educate people to what they have in the area, utilise the sports field for sport and let's have Dover athletes in the next Olympics!