Button
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 3,040
Contractor: a person or firm that undertakes a contract. (And, having finished, moves on to the next contract.)
(Not my real name.)
Chris- Forum Admin
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Oct 2009
- Posts: 357
The first stage of construction for the Dover Western Docks Revival development is now set to begin following the appointment of VSBW, a joint venture between VolkerStevin and Boskalis Westminster, with a £115m contract.
https://www.dover.uk.com/news/2017/major-construction-stage-commences-for-dover-western-docks-revival-developmenthoward mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
We will soon find out whether the businesses above will bring in people from their own work force or look to the local labour market to carry out the work.
PatrickS
- Location: Marine Parade, Dover
- Registered: 19 Sep 2015
- Posts: 448
Spring low - Dover Inner Harbour 15 January 2015 at 08:15
note where the level is compared to the dark piling of the Prince of Wales Pier
Guest 1831- Registered: 1 Sep 2016
- Posts: 395
#45 PatrickS.
That is a great photograph , I would assume from the Gateway Flats.
Can you please explain your comment, and what do you mean about the sea level.?
Thank you.
PatrickS
- Location: Marine Parade, Dover
- Registered: 19 Sep 2015
- Posts: 448
We have recently experienced Spring tides when the difference between high and low water levels are at their greatest. Thus recent news bulletins reporting flooding on the east coast.
The photo was taken from the Gateway as you intimated.
One of the reasons I took it was that the area at the western side of the harbour alongside the Prince of Wales pier is to be developed to accommodate a new marina and also a new lock cut into Wellington Dock.
The difference in sea level at Spring tides is in excess of 6 metres (20ft in old money). I am not an expert in marine matters and I am sure that others can explain it better.
http://www.visitmyharbour.com/articles/3154/spring-and-neap-tides-explanations-and-exampleCaptain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,000
A missive from the evil empire:-
Dear berth holders and marina users,
The first stage of construction is now underway with the appointment of VSBW, a joint venture between VolkerStevin and Boskalis Westminster, to deliver the marine structures and bridge contract for the Port of Dover’s flagship Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR) development.
During 2016 we have been communicating through the marina users group, which was established to input ideas into the technical workscope for the new marina fit out, and also the berth holder representatives meeting; this process is ongoing. This letter is intended to outline the more immediate changes which will affect day-to-day use of the marina as a result of the establishment of construction zone.
Following key enabling works, the next major phase of the construction programme is set to begin within the next few weeks.
As a result of these works there will be some changes to the seafront area. This will affect the Esplanade, Union Street, the harbour leisure zone and require the closure of the Esplanade at Cambridge Road in order to facilitate the commencement of work on the navigation channel required to connect the Wellington Dock to the new marina.
Vehicle access to the Marina Office including Granville Dock and the Tidal Basin will only be available from the A20. Vehicle access from Union Street to Marine Parade will not be available in either direction throughout the duration of construction.
Union Street car park will remain open and available to berth holders, marina users and car park permit holders. Public parking at Union Street car park will be suspended during this period to ensure marina user car parking is optimised.
The Clock Tower car park and welfare facilities will become part of the construction area and will be relocated in the Union Street car park.
Access and egress to the pontoons during construction will be from the Union Street car park. We appreciate this is much further to walk and have increased the number of available trolleys and are looking into further solutions to accommodate all marina users needs.
Extra care should be taken when in the Union Street vicinity as this will be the main access and egress to the construction zone with the entrance being located on the south side of Swingbridge. A delivery holding bay will be established to safely manage the construction vehicle movements.
There will be increased vessel activity in the harbour and Port Operations will regularly update mariners. The arrival and departure procedure for all mariners will remain the same, and Dover Port Control will give guidance on all berthing and navigation requirements for Dover.
From Spring 2017 dredgers will be operational within the harbour prior to the commencement of piling necessary for the construction of the new cargo berths which in turn will increase the presence of work and safety boats. Regular updates of all construction activity phases will be communicated to all stakeholders and along with Notices to Mariners from Port Operations.
We greatly value our relationship with the local community and ever mindful of the potential impacts caused by large infrastructure projects such as the DWDR development. We will endeavour to do everything in our power to mitigate at all stages of construction. A helpline (details to be forwarded in due course) will be available along with support from the Port of Dover DWDR Communications team.
The revival of the western part of the Port estate supports the developing destination agenda for Dover, being identified as the key catalyst for the wider regeneration of the area. It will deliver valuable employment opportunities both during construction and on completion of the new marina and cargo facilities.
We appreciate your continued patience and support during this exciting waterfront regeneration.
Yours sincerely
"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Good to read that they value their relationship with the local community!! What are the "welfare facilities" that they refer to?
Reginald Barrington
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,238
Toilets, showers and washing facilities Howard.
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Arte et Marte
Guest 1831- Registered: 1 Sep 2016
- Posts: 395
https://www.dover.uk.com/news/2017/bankers-pledge-200m-in-loans-for-dover-western-docks-revival
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Extraordinary

Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,000
christine.a wrote:
Extraordinary
What is? That international financiers have more faith in a multi million pound investment than half a dozen locals with an Internet connection and far too much time on their hands?

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"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Guest 1849- Registered: 12 Sep 2016
- Posts: 440
I'll tell you what's extraordinary, the port apparently handles £119 billion a year, so how come the town looks such a mess?
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
The value of goods going through the port has no impact on what DHB levy on the ferry and shipping companies.
Guest 712- Registered: 5 Mar 2011
- Posts: 10
David, 119 billion worth of goods move through the port each year, approx 20% in value of all the UK's trade. The port gets approx 60 million a year for facilitating the movement of all this trade and has direct operational costs of about 40 million and then, once indirects and tax is taken out has a profit, at the moment, of about 10 million. Most of this profit is going to be reinvested in operational capital projects (supplementing the long term infrastructure loan funding that has recently been announced) within the port, a proportion goes into the Charitable Community Fund, to be assigned as grant funding for organisations that get through the application process, and some is going into regeneration activity in buildings and on land owned by the port, which will hopefully boost and support other efforts to make a start on making Dover a better place.
Change and development has been a long time coming and Dover has not fared well in the waiting, but juxtaposing the value of trade goods that go to shops and factories up and down the country, or make their way from factories in the UK to mainland Europe, with the parlous state that successive incumbents in local, regional and national government have allowed Dover to fall into since the closures of the barracks, the coal mines, changes to ferry crew working practices and the advent of the Single Market, is just a little misleading.
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Paul M- Registered: 1 Feb 2016
- Posts: 393
£10 million net profit on a £60 million turnover? That's pretty good business.
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PatrickS
- Location: Marine Parade, Dover
- Registered: 19 Sep 2015
- Posts: 448
Can someone please explain what this means:
"The Port has assembled a cost-effective funding solution that matches the most cost-effective debt product to each maturity bucket - short-term commercial bank debt, medium term European Investment Bank debt and long-term private placement bonds - thus ensuring it can keep the cost of funding the project as low as possible for its customers."
and what security is offered/ held for this bucket of funding.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Kindly allow me to wade in on this Patrick, I have waded in on many tomes from industry analysts and the betting is that the DWDR will go breasts up. No problem for the high ups of DHB as their money is not on the line. On the other hand the financiers will have the deeds and have a business that seems to have a long term profit on their previously core business that will provide low risk returns to investors. At the end of the day Dover to Calais will always be the shortest route to and from our main markets.
Guest 1849- Registered: 12 Sep 2016
- Posts: 440
howard mcsweeney1 wrote:The value of goods going through the port has no impact on what DHB levy on the ferry and shipping companies.
More nonsense.
As Neil points out, the Port handles 1/5 of the Nation's trade. It says an awful lot about the way our District is administered that the Town is in such a mess. Trade = money - where is it all?
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,835
"Trade = money - where is it all?"
Going by the past in directors salaries, staff wages and various expansion schemes not all of which were well thought out.
It is now being spent on the Western Docks plan which again will be of little benefit to the town although it may provide a few extra jobs but will almost certainly create more traffic problems for us and for the rest of Kent.
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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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