Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
I have added the official release on this now to the top of the frontpage. Just came in yesterday. Many thanks to David Foley of the Chamber.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
Barry, instead of being so touchy, it might be a good idea to look and see how long somebody has been a member before saying you have explained many times, Charlie only joined in August this year.
Politeness costs nothing.
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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 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
This story serves to highlight how competitive the cruise business is becoming as cruise lines expand and more ports try and get a piece of the action. With increased choice, the cruise lines will pick the ports that most appeal to their passengers. Another wake up call for Dover that we must improve the town and get better at marketing the destination. It's not just Liverpool, but London and a series of other ports on the south coast.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Exactly what I've been saying for ages Kevin.
It's not just what appeals to their passengers though, but what appeals to the cruise companies too - ie cost and servicing the ships' needs.
Also of course the whole "package" of the cruise terminal and the Town and sadly, that letter I posted on here from John Hannaford a short time ago - and my reply to him (which I'm sure, the sentiment must be echoed amongst the majority of people living and visiting here) did not meet a good reception amongst those I sent it to, so nothing will be done to brighten up the Town, make it cleaner, more cared for.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
barry
the funny bit was that they said it was a non political organisation then in the next breath announced 3 new presidents, all blue m.p's.
Thank you Jan Higgins....
Now here is a request.....is there a Search Facility on this Site to look up previous information and threads....such as Dover District Chamber of Commerce...? to save annoying other members...
I have noticed this is Dover District....is there a Dover Chamber of Commerce?
You see I am amazed such organisations rear their head on such matters, and create yet another bigger organisation, three Presidents...none of whom are in Business....I mean since when has Westminster given a stuff about Business
except Big Business..but that is another mess....What on earth can the contribution of Thanet MP's give to Competition regarding Cruise business and Dover? it is crazy......
I am looking at what has been done since the Cruise Ships came to Dover....to this Town that is.............NOTHING BUT MUDDLE AND MESS.....I would like to see Mr Roger Walken's letter.....sounds sensible to me...but why would it receive a bad reception?...and to be told to shut up?.....
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
Re search facility: Click "Members Club" at top left of this page. The search box is a grey cloud icon at top right of the initial page.
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
Charlie
I asked in all innocence a similar question a few weeks ago and, from the responses, it was clear that I was not going to get any clarification rather just dismissive comments. I have had a look at the website and am not any further forward in knowing what the Chamber of Commerce does though from looking at the photos they obviously play golf and have some good meals at their meetings. Oh, they also organise the Saturday market but the music accompanying the video had me waiting for the Keystone Cops to run across the screen and the spelling of shakespears (sic) cliff on another video clip is hardly a good advert for the literacy skills of the members.
It all seems a bit like the Wizard of Oz!!
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Words, Mark and Charlie (Norman), is all you'll get - some very good words I might add, but very little, if any, real action or help - for the Town or the (retail) businesses here.
I mention retail because they are the vast majority of Town Centre businesses. I was sent packing by the Chamber of Commerce; I know what I'm talking about as regards tourism, moving the Town forward and pro-actively supporting/helping the businesses, but does anyone care ? NO.
Roger
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
the people that matter may not care roger
but theres a lot of dovorians and people living/working/visiting dover
with a great deal od knowlege
and hope everyone ca#n work in harmony for the best for dover
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
someone has to do something with the website there.
it states that mr foley has recently joined "dover pride" and describes the market as having a "growing variety of stalls".
it appears that a mr spencer cork is responsible for the site, didn't he use to be "business support manager"?
Ed Connell.....
Very many thanks......that will save lots of stupid questions
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
howard;
noted your post 25
shame the chamber decided to be political
still at least we know where they stand now
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 688- Registered: 16 Jul 2009
- Posts: 268
Come now Keith,did you ever think the 'Chamber of Commerce' was a political.It is has blue as bluebird flying against a blue sky,whistling 'my blue heaven'.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i think you are being a tad cynical john with our barry as chairperson it could be nothing other than non partisan.
Guest 688- Registered: 16 Jul 2009
- Posts: 268
Sorry Howard,I will correct that, maybe just the blue sky then.Being 'Blue' does not make you a bad person,some of my best friends are that tinge,interesting discussions though.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
my nan had a bluerince,my faverite footy wears blue.but that dosent make me a tory supporter does it.
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
This is all a bit tricky as the lines are blurred as to what is state aid and what is not.
Liverpool has a tremendous maritime history and should certainly get a slice of the cruise market. If it needs to repay a few million quid of taxpayers money to become a turnaround port then so be it.
Southampton is far and away the major cruise port. Together with many other privatised British ports, it is owned by ABP who are a foreign consortium registered in Jersey and paying no corporation tax. It has just received a lot of taxpayers money to upgrade the railway connection to the port to handle bigger containers.
Portsmouth has just opened a new cruise terminal funded by the City Council. It has also just benefited from £371m of taxpayers money to build the Hindhead bypass around and under the Devil's Punchbowl making the A3 entirely dual carriageway.
Dover is a Trust Port and is on very dodgy ground complaining about taxpayer subsidies to other ports. Nevertheless the Chamber of Commerce has issued the statement at the start of the thread and Charlie Elphicke has stated the following:
Quote: MP for Dover Charlie Elphicke has written to transport minister Mike Penning as part of a 10-week consultation to formally object. "There is no problem with a bit of competition but there needs to be a level playing field. We don't get any help like that in Dover - it amounts to Liverpool getting state aid. I'm not an expert on this, but I would imagine allowing turnaround trips at Liverpool would be unhelpful for Dover." Unquote.
Clearly neither Charlie nor the Chamber of Commerce have any comprehension of what colossal state benefits Dover receives by virtue of being a Trust Port. There is certainly not a level playing field as it is tilted very much in our favour.
As a Trust Port, the Port of Dover is owned by the nation. It has benefited from enormous investment from the taxpayer over the years amounting to billions of pounds in todays money, the largest outlay being the fortune spent on the construction of the Admiralty Harbour a century ago. All the profits from operation of this infrastructure are continuously reinvested in the port with the result that we are the largest ferry port in Europe, the second largest cruise port in the UK, and have flourishing cargo and marina facilities.
The port pays nothing to the taxpayer for the privilege of operating all this nationally owned infrastructure free gratis and having the opportunity of continuously improving and building on it by reinvesting the profits. In return, the nation can comfort itself with the warm feeling that it owns a vital piece of national infrastructure which is thriving and continuously expanding.
I think that, in consequence, it would pay us to keep a very low profile in this trifling argument over a few million quid being spent on the other side of the country.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Thanks for that Ed - very informative as usual.
In your posting, you mention that Dover has benefitted from enormous investment from the tax-payer amounting to billions of pounds and that the largest was the Admiralty Harbour a century ago.
Has the taxpayer paid large sums into Dover Harbour Board in recent years do you know ?
I don't think the argument is over a few million quid, more that Liverpool will take a lot of business from Dover and the Town, the businesses here and of course, the Harbour Board - all will suffer.
If we aren't careful, Calais will take business from us too, when it's cruise terminals are finished. Lots more reasons why the Town needs brightening up now and moving forward - and I'm not just talking about the big regeneration projects, although they are very important.
Roger
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
The Town of Dover gets no advantage as a Trust Port, Ed, that is why we need the People's Port to come to fruition.
Howard - the Dover District Chamber of Commerce has one President, our MP. the Thanet Chamber has two MPs for their area so therefore they have both as Presidents. The fact that they are all Conservative simply reflects the Party that was successful in the elections locally. A major part of the Chamber's role is to influence public bodies on behalf of business so it is important to have such people on-side.
Mark - you know damn well that I explained to you what the Chamber does, so come off it.
I will give you a flavour of Chamber activities during the 'quiet' month of August, as far as I can avoiding commercial sensitivities that is.
1/ A meeting was held with the market manager to discuss the future of the market.
2/ A meeting with the Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. The Chamber is one of their regular consultees (not all Chambers are)
3/ Planning issues were taken up on behalf of members with local authoratives
4/ Made representations regarding the cruise terminal
5/ Had meetings regarding the National War Memorial for Dover and helped obtain some further support for the project
6/ Meetings over Manston and night flights. This is important for Dover including the cruise terminal, adding our weight to representations in favour of allowing night flights.
7/ Another free Business Advice clinic was held. These are proving a great success averaging 6 businesses being helped each month
8/ Additional free expert help obtained for the clinic by recruiting another specialist adviser who is offering his services free
9/ Meetings over the Enterprise Zone, including one with Willets when our Chief Exec raised concerns over the 'displacement effect' that can devalue the impact of such zones
10/ Considerable activity was undertaken in respect of media relations with the BBC/ITV and R.Kent among others - representing the needs and views of business
That is on top of the other routine activities and pursuing a number of Chamber initiatives.
We have networking and information events too, a business lunch on the People's Port being the most recent (one was held a while back with DHB so there has been balance).
As I said this was August - the quiet month, but it does give you a flavour of what is done by our part-time Chief Exec (1 1/2 days a week) and office manager/secretary plus input on a voluntary basis by board members.
We also have a part-time self-employed marketing consultant who, among other things, organises golf days (valuable networking at which business is done) and sells advertising in our diary.
