Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Having been a District Councillor and Leader of the Council I became very involved with planning issues.
Many constituents required me to act on their behalf on objections and on applications
Developers are professional,sharp as razors,smart operators and always get what they want or walk away.
Our planners work by the book......ever seen a poor developer ?
As Roger says they have to make a profit......a very big profit.
Just a taster....Whitfield development should have 30 % affordable homes..... Developers first phase does not have one.....
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Ken: "It would be interesting to see how many posters were actually born in Dover."
As my Dad served in the Army and was stationed elsewhere, I wasn't born in Dover, but my grandparents and their grandparents were.
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
missed a para...
Having been a District Councillor and Leader of the Council I became very involved with planning issues.
Many constituents required me to act on their behalf on objections and on applications
Developers are professional,sharp as razors,smart operators and always get what they want or walk away.
Our planners work by the book....
.Upfront the 106 goodies are there on display as time goes by they are not there anymore.
..........ever seen a poor developer ?
As Roger says they have to make a profit......a very big profit.
Just a taster....Whitfield development should have 30 % affordable homes..... Developers first phase does not have one.....
Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
"Upfront the 106 goodies are there on display as time goes by they are not there anymore."
As far as I'm aware the 106 Agreement for the first stage of the Whitfield development has been concluded - Vic should have the full info.
Guest 725- Registered: 7 Oct 2011
- Posts: 1,418
Personally I wouldn't spend good money buying a new home. They are, in general, thrown up, as most good builders will tell you. Lightweight, environmentally sound, zero carbon boxes with tiny rooms with hardly any soundproofing. Did I mention ugly?
Oh and come 2016 gas boilers could be outlawed in new builds in order to save the planet.
What we all have to remember that under labour and now the tories there will be little house building in the foreseeable future. Who can afford to take a mortgage on a new house anyway? And what's all this social housing? All sounds a bit Orwellian to me social housing. Why not just name it for what it is? Housing for the poor.
Social housing - Pah!
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Roger, you write:
"When Whitfield is being developed, so will a "Bus Rapid Transit" system, so there won't be thousands of cars steaming into Dover."
Having thought carefully about this, I decided to do a verification test in Dover to see if this assessment on the part of DDC is correct. The results are negative.
The verification is better carried out after 7 O'clock in the evening, when most people have returned from work or from shopping.
Roger, try walking along Clarendon Street, Clarendon Place, Balfour Road or Victoria Park, preferably before 8am or after 7 pm.
The parked cars line the road, often taking one third of the pavement , from one end of the street to the other.
There are many more roads in Dover which have the same situation.
Conclusion: in Dover town, where there is a constant bus connection, and where there is a bus station and a train station, the vast majority of people do NOT use buses, or trains, but cars.
All the more would they do so in Whitfield.
I am convinced DDC have carried out assessments in the core strategy which are void of meaning.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
nice try alex but as you know local buses are non existent after 7 pm in dover, the clarendon and maxton one finishes at 5.40 pm.
Guest 868- Registered: 25 Jan 2013
- Posts: 490
It proves that Clarendon Street, Clarendon Place, Balfour Road or Victoria Park have mostly houses of multiple occupancy or narrow frontages and no off-street parking. so aren't a good comparison with new out of town developments with more room
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Does that mean, Howard, that in Dover town many streets have a car parked in front of each house for lack of a bus and train service?
If so, then DDC Planning could well have to review their core strategy, not least on account of the carbon emissions laws.
As for Roger's statement about future residents in Whitfield using only the bus to reach Dover (and work?) and not a car, does DDC have any consultant's advice or estimation on this?
Which consulting firm carried out this assessment for DDC?
I am interested to know, as it is about time to ask for a review of the DDC core strategy and for some aspects to be verified by expert consultants. Now we are being told that future Whitfield residents will not use cars but only the bus, whereas Dover town residents must have a car as there is no adequate bus service?
Guest 868- Registered: 25 Jan 2013
- Posts: 490
I'm just rather intrigied why you think everyone in Whitfield will be wanting to drive into Dover every day ?
I live on the outskirts of Deal and certainly don't go into Deal every day...
Guest 868- Registered: 25 Jan 2013
- Posts: 490
PS using your favourite tool Google comes up with:
http://www.dover.gov.uk/pdf/DoverTransportStrategy.pdf
http://www.dover.gov.uk/pdf/ExecutiveSummary.pdf
and as I posted yesterday, indications from this are that traffic levels in Dover are actually decreasing
http://www.dft.gov.uk/traffic-counts/cp.php?la=Kent#17812Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
Of course there are lots parked cars at those times of day, people are at home either before or after work and in the evening if they go out and have a drink they walk, get a bus or taxi.
During the day my road is full of cars parked by people who drive into Dover for work, mainly teachers, postal workers and shop staff in the evening these cars are replaced by the residents' cars. Dover needs a Park and Ride scheme which is what I assume Bus Rapid Transport means it seems to work OK for places like Canterbury
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 868- Registered: 25 Jan 2013
- Posts: 490
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Paul, I will study the two links you provided, thanks
Meanwhile, I'm of the opinion that Roger believes Whitfield residents will not be accessing Dover by car, but by bus.
My experience of residents' habits in Dover and around Dover is that the vast majority would (and does) use a car.
Also, in reference to my post 86, I'll add that even if Roger were to walk along the Clarendons after 9am and before 6pm, or at any given hour of the day, he will likely see the streets packed with parked cars.
This is Dover town, where bus stops are all over the area, including the Clarendons, and where Priory train station is a mere walking distance from the Clarendons.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Paul, in post 60, Roger writes "Park and Ride may also be introduced, thereby, also cutting down traffic."
MAY! Not will.
Where would the car-parks be? Does this appear in the core strategy?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
just to make things clear houses in clarendon place/street are simple small family units and the idea of multi occupancy is quite laughable. i believe that balfour road is much the same.
Guest 868- Registered: 25 Jan 2013
- Posts: 490
Have you read the core strategy or are you stil relying on people doing it for you and feeding you information ?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i have never read the core strategy and have no wish to, nobody feeds me information i have my own mind.
Guest 868- Registered: 25 Jan 2013
- Posts: 490
howard mcsweeney1 wrote:just to make things clear houses in clarendon place/street are simple small family units and the idea of multi occupancy is quite laughable. i believe that balfour road is much the same.
My "with" was meant tp be an "or" - "Clarendon Street, Clarendon Place, Balfour Road or Victoria Park have mostly houses of multiple occupancy or narrow frontages and no off-street parking"
Guest 868- Registered: 25 Jan 2013
- Posts: 490
howard mcsweeney1 wrote:i have never read the core strategy and have no wish to, nobody feeds me information i have my own mind.
Comment was in response to Alexander !