howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#1
a lot of notice for this one, surprised that the town council are organising it.
http://dovertowncouncil.gov.uk/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2632Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#2
Been nice knowing you :)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#3
apparently pat sherratt is the driving force behind this, thought i saw him in the folkestone road last week with two official looking people - one with a camera.
might be connected.
Guest 652- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 595
#4
Pat was on the Folkestone Road, on other business Howard
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#5
thanks sheila, that pat s certainly gets about doing things and getting involved.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#6
I heard about this by accident, which I was somewhat put out by and because there is very little detail on this "BIG" clean up, I have sent an email to the Town Council, with the following questions.
I'd like to ask a some questions on the above event in order to seek some clarification if I may.
1) What is the reason for it ? Just to do the job that DDC waste service contractors are not doing properly - ie clean the streets ? Surely if that is the case, shouldn't we (Councillors) be complaining to Waste Services to get it done properly - they always come out to clear a place up if requested when I ask them.
2) Is this exercise just clearing litter/waste from the pavements or are we also pulling up weeds from the gutters and pavements and just inside people's property; are we informing residents of what is happening and then let them know we can take bulk items too ? In which case are DDC/Veolia involved ?
3) The meeting at the Horse Trough (there is no Horse-Trough) /Tram-Shelter at the junction of Folkestone Road and Elmsvale is for whom - the Priory Forum volunteers ? Or do you have lots of other people who are coming out to clear this ward ?
4) Also, from there, what direction are you going ? Up Elmsvale ? Up Folkestone Road ? Down Folkestone Road and will it be just Folkestone Road, or will there be loads of volunteers so the side roads can be cleared too ?
5) Is there evidence to show that apart from the usual waste/rubbish left out by troublesome families with their overloaded wheelie bins and lots of different coloured bags -all being sorted out by various departments at DDC, that there is a real need for this ?
6) Is this something that the Town Council should be involved in - clearing Dover's streets ? Surely it is the responsibility of Dover District Council's Waste-Services department - isn't it ? Was this thought up by a committee at DTC ?
If you can help with some of the questions above, it will be much appreciated.
Kind Regards
Roger (Walkden)
Considering Pat is a Conservative Town Councillor and I am a Conservative District Councillor, I have thought there may have been a conversation about it, especially as I am having regular meetings with the Director of Waste Services and others and in regular correspondence with a number of departments at DDC.
Roger
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
#7
I guess residents and members of the public should not have to be 'asked' to help clear rubbish - they should ALWAYS be vigilant and do so - but sometimes effort and commitment is lacking.
This organised clean-up will no doubt draw everyone's attention to the fact that we all need to be more attentive in keeping our own communities tidy - not just waste removal but tidy in all aspects, whether it is in our front gardens, forecourts, or pavements.
Years ago it was noticeable that shopkeepers swilled and brushed their shop frontages regularly as did householders. There seems to be generally a lack of interest by a lot of people to keep their areas clean and tidy. Anything which helps improve this cannot be bad !
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Guest 1694- Registered: 24 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,087
#8
Hi Roger, As this initiative is clearly 'supported by DDC' on all the literature, perhaps answers to your questions, particularly 1, 2, 5 and 6, are more readily available from the Whitfield offices of the DDC. This initiative appears to have been instigated by DTC, but DTC are not doing it alone, they show that they are working with Kent Police and are supported by DDC, so someone up at Whitfield knows something.
Guest 652- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 595
#9
Clarendon & Westbury Community Ass was approached on this, but unfortunately we are a load of cripples so cannot help, I did ask the PCSO if the community payback team could do the pathway between Vale-View Road and Winchelsea Street, it is rather overgrown with bramble etc, this is the way that a lot of children go to school, I also gave him the info, for him to show you Roger to see if the Priory Forum wanted to get involved, did he not do this
Sheila
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#10
I first heard about this from the Forum and then wrote to DTC asking why we (the Priory Forum) hadn't heard anything; the answer I had back was that they had the wrong email address for our Secretary.
There was no information about who was being asked and how it was to be done and who was involved, that's why I sent those questions to the Town Council and have since been informed that my questions had been forwarded on to Pat Sherratt for him to answer.
I am sending the above email to DDC as well; I do think that as DDC are involved, local ward councillors should have been advised of the initiative.
As regards the Maxton, Elmsvale and Priory Ward, as CAWCA people can't help, who will do it if PF can't help for what ever reason ?
I do think that a conversation with the ward councillors would have helped - if only on how it is suposed to work.
Sheila - that alleyway is on our list to help clear it; I did ask that as we have quite a bit of money left over from our previous clean-up in the Clarendon Alleys, could we buy a petrol strimmer to clear away a lot of the weeds and small branches, but was told no as it was too dangerous and the implication was that we would have to go on a health and safety course before we could use it anyway.
Because one of our members has a petrol strimmer, they have allowed up to use that on the next clean-up.
A petrol hedge-trimmer would help with the smaller branches.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#11
the alleyway mentioned was completely overgrown the last time i went through it, chock full of litter too.
once it is cleared up maybe local residents could take over regular litter picks?
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
#12
LRCF - will be clearing litter at the old scrap yard on Cherry Tree
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
#13
Roger, as a ward councillor there is nothing stopping you from organising some volunteers and targeting an area in your ward for cleaning on that day. Once you have done that just let Tracey know at the DTC office and your volunteers will be included in the Pencester event afterwards. This is certainly what the WHPS and I have done.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Guest 739- Registered: 16 Jan 2012
- Posts: 85
#14
Chris, the PF are in the process of organising our own event following on from the last one but we're still waiting for the budget holder to reply to my email re allocation of funds.
There is no mention on the poster of what will be cleaned or where. Are the Priory ward going to clean somewhere in the ward (it's a big ward) or anywhere in Dover? There's a distict lack of detail. What will happen when/if people turn up at the allocated place? Do we decide when we get there or has the clean up site been chosen already? The people I've spoken to in an attempt to round up support for this have looked at me blankly and then asked the same questions. Closely followed by comments like "is this the same as we did last time?"
Also, I haven't seen this advertised anywhere other than the email I eventually received from Tracey Hubbard as apparently the PF doesn't exist anymore. So please excuse my cynicism. It feels like we're supposed to know what we're doing when no one has told us what the plan actually is.
I think we are all guinea pigs in the middle of an experiment for which they have forgotten to set up a control group!
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#15
Thanks Jen - well said.
Roger
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
#16
An e mail was sent to all Town Councillors, and as many community groups as DTC had up to date contact details for, asking them to organise a group of volunteers to clean-up an area of their choosing within their wards. As you can see from the poster some have done this and arranged meeting points (I am not sure what MUGA means for Town and Pier/Aycliffe but we are meeting at the old Citadel entrance on Military Road).
The Kent Police and Community Police are organising the event in the park to thank the volunteers afterwards and make it a fun day-out for all. As the event is still over a month away and people do now know about it (instead of worrying if your "not important enough" to have had a personal invitation or how it fits in with your 'politics') all it takes is a phone call to take part. Get involved in a positive action to help people feel good about the town we all live in, and have an enjoyable day out.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Guest 676- Registered: 1 Jul 2008
- Posts: 521
#17
Chris
Multi Use Games Area, the court at the end of Old Folkestone Road.
Roger
Maybe its time that as a district councillor for the ward you try talking to the town councillors, face to face works better than email
Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
#18
I knew that Stewart (although others may not) but it is not where we are meeting. An oops I think.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#19
"As the event is still over a month away and people do now know about it (instead of worrying if your "not important enough" to have had a personal invitation or how it fits in with your 'politics') all it takes is a phone call to take part."
That's an unnecessary sarcastic comment Chris.
The Priory Forum organised two well supported clean-ups last September and everyone was rewarded with refreshments afterwards; we are working on another one, probably for September and could tie in with this Big Clean-up, but the scarce bit of information doesn't help ennthusiasm does it ?
Who decided where we'll meet and has anyone decided where we'll clean or can that be up to us ? Too many unanswered questions.
Pat Sherratt emailed me this morning but hasn't answered any of my questions.
Roger
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#20
It works both ways too Stewart.
As this is an initiative that was started by the Town Council (Pat Sherratt). wouldn't it have been more in order, or more helpful for someone, either you or Pat, to have let me know ?
Why blame me for not knowing ? I didn't receive any advice about it - person to person (phone call), or electronically (email); it was only when I emailed Tracey at DTC that I found out some odd bits and not the whole story.
Our PCSO phoned me up to let me know, he was surprised that I hadn't been notified of it.
Roger
Been nice knowing you :)