Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
9 October 2009
16:2030056#1
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Following on from the lead story on the front page by the Ed. PaulB. The above is a recent photo of a busy High St in St Helier. It's like this every day as the offices tip out their workers at lunchtimes.The myriad of coffee houses are full and the shops always appear to be busy.My son who is also working over here said he wasn't use to town centres being so busy!
Oh guess what there are no out of town supermarkets so maybe that and the offices being located around the town and not on *hitfield Hill may have something to do with it. Just think if the council had built there new offices in town..all those office workers wanting a sarnie and a coffee,newspaper,birthdaycard it could have saved our town.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
9 October 2009
18:3830067#2
Marek, as ever, straight to the heart of the point.
Thank you Local Reps for ripping the heart out of the town you are paid to support and build. It must be either stupidity or duplicity that enabled you to make those decisions.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
9 October 2009
19:0530071#3
Before my time Bern .THey had only built one part of the Whitfield complex when i joined in 1987
Most of the people who made those decisions are long since gone .Probably only one remaining .
9 October 2009
19:4830082#4
Are you saying that decisions made years ago cannot be re-evaluated, adapted, respond to current trends and directives? Can I just ask: if they had only built one part of Whitfield Complex when you joined, does that mean the rest was built on your watch?
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
9 October 2009
21:5030089#5
The Council Chamber and associated offices were built under my watch .Barry W was there at the time .Before the new wing was built we met in Dover Town Hall for Full Coucil meetings The Finance Office was in Brook House .Environmental Health was based in Sandwich .
Prior to the Planning Department moving to Whitfield it was based in Temple Ewell .When the old rural councils etc were merged back in 1984 to become DDC that is when a decision was made to move up to Whitfield .Barry was there in those days .
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
10 October 2009
07:1530102#6
Lovely photo Marek - thanks.
I bet there aren't any run-down or dilapidated buildings (allowed) in St. Helier either - are there ?
The comment about DDC offices being at Whitfield has been brought up a number of times, but there aren't many (any ?) Town Centre locations for so many people and their cars of course.
Roger
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
10 October 2009
10:1130133#7
St James' or DTIZ ? or whatever its called. Long term view rather than short sighted profits.
Ask the Victorians ...Would you build the new town Hall 4 miles out of town? Answer : No
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
10 October 2009
10:1230134#8
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
10 October 2009
11:1230137#9
roger
could not the council offices have been built on part of what is now the dtiz zone.
most places i have lived the municipal offices are in the centre of town.
marek earlier pointed out, a lot of small businesses rely on the custom from council staff.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
10 October 2009
11:4130138#10
HOWARD
Have you lost your way? your talking about Dover District council lol
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
10 October 2009
15:4030142#11
Roger
There are a couple of empty shops..one has blown up photos of St Helier in the 50's & 60's in the window.
The other shop has been redecorated and a poster placed in the window stating "Opening soon...a new branch of HSBC ..etc"
Most shops have hanging baskets outside and are judged at various times of the year for their displays.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
10 October 2009
16:5030143#12
I always find it amazing that we live in a town that even the district council don't want to occupy. It goes without saying that people working in the town would lead to them spending their money there (especially when they are relatively well paid i.e. DDC Staff) As a result this considerable number of people stroll across to Tescos to buy their chicken caesar wraps.
I've thought about this before and by my crude estimations worked out you could fit the council offices almost twice onto the DTIZ site. Also the dual carriageway would serve as a constant reminder to the staff of what we are up against! And if the building had been sited in town I wonder if it would have instigated the same concerns of a sick building?
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
10 October 2009
19:1530146#13
nothing much changes
while others prosper dover dies
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
11 October 2009
07:1930161#14
I'm not going into the argument of why were the DDC offices built at Whitfield; I understand that it was back in the early 80's ? I wasn't here then so am not sure.
I'm also not going into whether it would be a good idea to move them to the DTIZ area; apart from some landownership issues that have now gone to CPO, the DTIZ is making progress, albeit very sowly.
Thanks for the info about the two shops Marek; I received some information from Plymouth City Council (via Haydn at La Salle Verte) about how they tidied up their empty shops and made a vast difference to the look and feel of their City Centre.
As with the section 215 initiative, as an individual I will not be heard, but given some responsibility and authority, I can at least (and at last) work on them.
So we watch and wait.
Roger
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
11 October 2009
09:0330169#15
The land was cheap .To have built in town would have meant CPO s on a lot of buildings .DDC has always been a low cost rating authority .I believe even now some people think its a land of luxury at Whitfield .I have been to several other authorities and that statement is unfair .Even the canteen went .
Guest 684- Registered: 26 Feb 2009
- Posts: 635
11 October 2009
09:1630170#16
Yadda yadda yadda. Manana. Whatever.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
11 October 2009
09:2530171#17
The D.D.C offices were also build in the days of the cold war,and in case of war it was going to be a goverment seat,and all what goes with that kind of building,How do I know that?Well I was in the group that build it, there is alot of my welding holding that up.
,again a true story from Vic Matcham "Life Story"
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
11 October 2009
10:0430176#18
blimey vic, wont go in that building again then lol
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
11 October 2009
10:1430181#19
Andrew what is this Yadda yadda .I assume you are an intelligient man .Lived here in River as a child .If you cannot respond in a correct manner dont bother ,.Im giving the correct reasons and Vic is also coming upwith true facts .
11 October 2009
10:4830184#20
But it is still a load of hot air, isn't it, and doesn't really compensate for or address the lack of local reps in the town centre - which is where they usually are in other places. What nit thought it would be a good idea to have town centre business conducted out of town?
