Dover Neighbourhood Plan
- 20 April 2011 10:23102602Dover Forum unite for the Dover Neighbourhood Plan
The case for the Peoples Port has placed Dover at the forefront of Localism and the Big Society. The main principle behind Localism is that central government should reduce its influence over local matters and allow communities and councils to take on more responsibility. Neighbourhoods will have their own plans, it will be up to you to decide what happens, community referendums will allow everyone to voice an opinion and have the opportunity to run a much needed service.
I am attempting to survey individuals and community group of Dover to assertain their opinions over development, its location, type, funding. Should there be new builds or should we regenerate existing buildings? Do we need large scale developments or small scale interventions? Are there community groups that need new accommodation?
What do you think about these Proposed Developments?
Peoples Port - Is the peoples port a realistic proposal and can it bring change for the good to Dover. How could community involvement spread.
Or would you prefer privatisation
Waterfront Regeneration - New £300 million Western Docks development with new Marina, Hotels, Residential. Commercial , Retail and Leisure.
A Cable Car connecting the Seafront to the Castle
Dover Town Investment Zone located in St James area, the demolion of Burlington House, £52 million Development and 660 new jobs, Retail anchor store and commercial space, mixed use town centre.
Buckland Mill, conversion of existing Mill buildings and development of homes, apartments and community buildings
5,750 homes around Whitfield, creating 6 distinct neighbourhoods with shops, schools and community facilities
New sites at White Cliffs business park
Mid town Regeneration, bringing a Civic quarter, mixed use riverside development, education campus for south kent college and new community hospital police and primary care trust
Or do we need small scale changes to existing places such as;
Dover Priory Station, Western Heights, River Dour, Townwall street, the Promenade, York street, Castle Square, Pencester gardens, Market square
I am a Post Grad Architecture Student at Canterbury School of Architecture, our unit "This is England" http://thisisenglanduca.blogspot.com/ have been studying Dover and its Port and I have found great interest and support in the case of the Peoples Port and the surrounding politics and community involvement in Dover.
I would be incredibly grateful for some of your opinions, the survey of these thoughts along with some interactive master planning exercises will be presented at a show commencing 6th May @ Old Sorting Office in Dover
Looking forward to some interesting thoughts
Many thanks
Chris Simmons - 20 April 2011 11:03102612Chris much of that above has already been discussed at great length. It might be an idea to scroll back through several pages...we had a huge and Im talking huge thread on the People's Port for example, so scroll back and you will get many opinions there...even from Neil Wiggins himself who is the Leader of the People's Port initiative.
Lots of other threads on the other topics too.email: dover7@msn.com - 20 April 2011 11:45102622Talking of the port, I just heard this morning that an army of workmen have been brought in to do a big clean up in readiness for an Arab purchase
- 20 April 2011 12:06102628that would be interesting as vic is manning the kiosk for some time today.
not only would that put another nought on the purchase price but the arabs will get the benefit of his views. - 20 April 2011 12:48102630Yes but I am back home now I have done my two hrs.
- 20 April 2011 13:44102639Really, Colette? Intriguing. Which bits are they clearing up?
- 20 April 2011 16:40102665Chris i have emailed you privately.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 21 April 2011 06:15102743Chris, you have obviously done a lot of research on the proposed future regeneration of Dover, some of which is in the pipeline and plans are being worked on for some of them; some of them are not yet evolved into detailed plans, but are part of Dover's (mid-term) future.
Trying to ask a Town's residents what they would like is like asking a group of children what sort of sweet they want out of a whole bag and hoping they'll all come up with the same choice.
That's what we have architects, designers and planning experts for.
In most, if not all cases, the local authority's Planning Committee will decide, ultimately.
I do believe that local community groups should be involved on local decisions, but I do feel there is a limit to what they should be able to decide - there's a lot of NIMBY-ism about.
Good Luck
Roger - Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,707
21 April 2011 12:57102830Roger - i understand where you are coming from, but to be honest i think you do many of us who are active in the town a huge disservice with those comments"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 - 21 April 2011 14:05102835Ross, I am absolutely sure Roger never intended to imply or impugn any of those great contrbutors to Dover's debate.
I believe the majority of those who contribute to this Forum do so with the objective to the achieve the speediest of Dover's development [as do we].
There are frustations on all sides of this debate but the common theme is wanting something to happen & sooner rather than later.
It has never become clearer than at present that flexibility of approach may be the vanguard to development.
Protecting what needs to be protected & being open minded about the processes to deliver on other fronts will be the key.
Now I'm sure I'll stir the usual postings talking about the past but we won't achieve Dover's development harping on about missed opportunities by whoever.
Dover's future is not what we have now but being big enough to respond in a timely fashion to deliver change. - 21 April 2011 14:12102836Paul, why can we not see the new DTIZ designs with sensitive commercial details removed? If the secrecy is merely to observe commercial confidentiality I don't see a problem with that. If it is to keep the plans from public view in order to present us all with a fait accompli that is something else entirely.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 21 April 2011 14:59102838Commercial reasons only Peter.
They remain the property of the developer & architect until they are ready to launch the scheme.
They need to know they have overcome the statutory bodies objections/views if any, before submitting plans with the large expensive planning fees involved.
To develop plans & employ architects is a massive expense which they incur at their own cost. They want to be sure they get it right first time round, if possible.
Its as simple as that. No secrecy just plain business sense.
Watty - 21 April 2011 17:10102872So why not bounce their ideas off the population first? Otherwise they risk spending a fortune on plans which might receive a resounding raspberry from Dovorians.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,707
21 April 2011 17:17102876Paul - I suspect you are right
Roger wasnt saying you were shooting at us - but there are also many more interested, active people than just on here that want the best for Dover.
I agree Peter, the danger is that post the planning application process a huge raft of objections raised, followed by a stormy planning meeting and then the usual round of accusatory posts on here, letters to the press etc."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 - 21 April 2011 17:19102877I'm sure they will when they are ready, as has happened previously.
Watty - 21 April 2011 17:28102882I look forward to it. Consider my breath bated.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 21 April 2011 17:38102889Let's get this right, they [developers]will not come forward with the scheme unless they have retailers, etc. have signed up.
It works in reverse, you need to know where the market is & then design it around the market & their requirements.
If you were in towns with prosperous catchment areas & large pockets that would happen pretty smartiest, that is not the case for Dover at present BUT the amount of investor interest[& acquisitions] is accumulating at a pace.
We need a couple of decisions.
Firstly the government's judgement on the future of the Port of Dover,next is election uncertainty & sterilisation of process during a run up to elections.
Investors get jittery, they need certainty.
Get past these events & the mist will clear one way or the other.
Locally we have Strategic Planning Policies in place that allow for growth & expansion on all fronts.
Other than Ashford , Dover has the plannning edge & certainty to move forward.
We just wait for the government & the public.
Watty - 21 April 2011 17:42102891how come that every time(it seems) that roger gives an opinion people jump on him.
usually it is for his more innocuous posts too.
i have read post 8 a few times to make sure i had not missed anything and cannot see anything controversial there. - 21 April 2011 21:58102924Paul-as I frequently say-we live in exciting times!Never give up...
- 21 April 2011 22:54102927Chris. Reading through the impressive array of projects for Dover, there is one question mark to start with, in the physical form of Burlington house.
Popular legend has it that it will be standing in 100 years time!
The whole Saint James project can wait till that collusus comes down, because otherwise it's a no-starter.
The monies for taking down Burlington house are unlikely to be there, and even less so those required for building new streets in Saint James.
The Western Docks project is commonly known as T2, even DHB said it won't be required for at least another generation.
Urbanisation in Whitfield is advocated by about 43 people, namely the DDC Councillors minus the LibDems, if I got it right; otherwise just about no-one wants the 5,700 houses there. The project has something to do with collecting points from the old Labour government, and we've all been told that there is nothing we can do about it anyway.
It's nothing to write a thesis on democracy on!
The people's port parish poll got a 25% turnout in Dover Town.
Money is hard to come by nowadays, and Dover has a horrendous motor-way passing through the would-be DTIZ area, full of pollution. An unlikely scene for people to get out and shop and take a deep breath of fresh air!
As hinted, most of these topics have been beaten to death, resurrected, and publicly flogged again on the Forum.
The cable-car project: that's a funny one! One would have to catch a taxi to somewhere near Eastern Docks to get to the cable car and ascend the cliffs to the Castle.
Why not get a taxi directly to the Castle, c'est plus facile!Chanters, Drums and Drones Potty Time http://youtu.be/99fMqpjnXYA
Rule Britannia!
Kent First http://youtu.be/04F3mAP3fV4 Keep banging on http://youtu.be/qYCU_SKmkGQ