Keith Sansum1![Keith Sansum1](/assets/images/users/avatars/704.jpg)
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,623
Lesley
I think i have applauded you before on other threads, on the difference you made to many volunteers in years gone by.
But howard, if David has his eyes set on westminster, his arrogant postings will have lost him a lot of votes
and what party, or on what ticket would he stand?
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Ross Miller![Ross Miller](/assets/images/users/avatars/680.jpg)
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,685
Ah the same answers to the same questions
Where to start?
Well the biggest issue the town has is lack of employment and this needs addressing. The problem to addressing this is there is little or no incentive for any large business to start up iin a town that has c25,000 residents and where half the catchment area is water. So what is the answer?
The first thing to do is to decide what Dover wants to be? is it to be a declining industrial port town for ever? or should we be looking to reinvent it as a resort/destination? My own view is the latter, but this will require some serious money and infrastructure work and the total commitment of an open minded and supportive local authority. So what works am I suggesting? We need to develop the marina behind De Bradlei so it is lined with a mixed development of housing and holiday apartment blocks, we then need to build a land bridge that connects the town and its seafront, this should be sited from the area where the old Dover Stage Hotel was across to the area currently occupied by The Light of India, the closed multi storey car park demolished along with "Snoops" thus opening up a wide entrance into the heart of town, This of course changes the dynamic of the DTIZ and would require a rethink on design, but gives both DDC & its developer the opportunity to develop something that creates a real community in the heart of town,It needs to be a mixed development of streets of homes and streets of smallish shops with housing above. Yes by all means develop the hotel along Woolcomber Street as this will facilitate the removal of Burlington House.
We also need to enhance and develop the current tourism options in Dover, truly tying together the wealth of sites of historic interest and marketing them as a whole, combine this with the same thing for the natural history/landscape attractions and build some sort of world class leisure attraction (skate park, water splash centre, i.e. something that provides a different draw/appeal) and as visitor numbers grow retail will start to follow.
Of course we need to connect these sites together but that is better done with some form of circular shuttle bus service than a cable car that floats over the town the 30% of the year the weather allows it to run.
Alongside this the DTC & DDC need to ensure they work closely with private developers (e.g. station multi-storey car park and retail), existing business representatives (Town Team etc), community groups (e.g. Big Local) to facilitate and support their activities in making the town a better place to live work and play
"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
Keith Sansum1![Keith Sansum1](/assets/images/users/avatars/704.jpg)
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,623
would be a goood start ross
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Brian Dixon![Brian Dixon](/assets/images/users/avatars/681.jpg)
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
in reply to ross,
1,we need to get rid of apathy.
2,have a well planed work ethic.
3,employ local people.
4,have a back up plan.
Jan Higgins![Jan Higgins](/assets/images/users/avatars/701.jpg)
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,695
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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 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Ross has good ideas, he's not the only one, which brings me back to my original question:
Why can't DDC implement them?
PaulB raises a very good point re our MP, he has zero interest in Dover, he's too busy climbing the political ladder. Good luck to him, but its us that suffers.
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
# 10 gives an answer ......# District Councils are impotent.out of date,passed their sell by date,
Victorian......nothing will change whilst they exist......
Guest 904- Registered: 21 Mar 2013
- Posts: 312
Unfortunately, it seems that comments made in what I thought was a private forum are fair game for our local rags. I thought Graham Tutthill was above this kind of cheap journalism, apparently not though it seems...
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/east_kent_mercury/news/Resign-in-shame-businessman-tells-1076/
It doesn't make a difference to what Dave believes, or will say to the faces of those he criticises, but this is cheap 'cut and paste' reporting.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
David, there are plenty of people out there with visions but none with the £1 billion needed to realise them.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Of course Peter, ideas are ten a penny, its the implementation thats difficult.
DDC fail spectacularly at implementing schemes
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
paul
i don't see a problem here, nothing that david has said has been taken out of context and it is made clear the medium he used to get his message across.
modern local journalism relies a lot on the internet to gauge people's opinions, the express has it's own facebook page which it regularly quotes from in the paper.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i see that reg got his message across to a new audience and jan has found fame.
Guest 904- Registered: 21 Mar 2013
- Posts: 312
howard mcsweeney1 wrote:paul
i don't see a problem here, nothing that david has said has been taken out of context and it is made clear the medium he used to get his message across.
modern local journalism relies a lot on the internet to gauge people's opinions, the express has it's own facebook page which it regularly quotes from in the paper.
It's lazy journalism Howard and completely superficial as no cross referencing or background research takes place. But then again, that's about all the information that some of the readership are able to take in...
Jan Higgins![Jan Higgins](/assets/images/users/avatars/701.jpg)
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,695
As you say Howard I have now found fame and nearly fell off my chair when I read my name, now who should I forward the article to.
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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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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i saw graham in town this morning he was on some sort of under cover mission and forbade me to take any photos.
Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
As a port Dover is a place to mearly pause for a while. It needs to concentrate on meeting the visitors needs i.e. first rate hospitality, get that right and the rest will follow.
Lots of local businesses DO work hard to attract custom but feel let down by the envioronment in which they are trying to deliver their services. Most would also welcome healthy competition if it encouraged footfall.
No seaside entertainment.
No musical hall, variety or concert hall.
No late night good quality family restaurants.
No 5 star hotels.
No luxury cinema.
Not enough focus on the arts.
No where for caravaners to park with facilities close to the port.
Frankly, the town is dirty.
Get off the boat/ train/ coach or car at 7.30 at night and what does Dover have to offer?
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,408
The BBC series 'TOWN with Nicholas Crane' started on Tuesday.
1st episode was about Oban "a bustling ferry port clinging to the western side of Scotland that most people pass by with barely a sideways glance".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b020t7smhoward mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
nowhere near the number of passengers and vehicles as dover karlos, will watch the next episode though with interest.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
only one comment on the kent online site anonymously blaming the forum for the state of the town.
just putting a hair shirt on now i hope everyone else similarly chastises themselves.