Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
I agree, David, that more needs to be done for the town centre. Improved car parking at the station is just one element of a wider regeneration of the district, including housing, DTIZ, Western Heights, etc. I think if you look at all the projects underway, there is significant momentum building. Of course, everyone is frustrated at timescales but these things don't happen overnight.
At the end of the day, this money is coming from Network Rail, so they are not going to invest money in anything other than infrastructure at their stations. I agree, car parking is not the only consideration for potential commuters, but it does make a big difference to those who spend a lot of their time travelling to and from work. I think a great many commuters would be attracted by the idea of a one hour commute to London, ample car parking at the station, and the delights of coming home to Dover! We need to start marketing that offer!
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
But are these projects underway Kevin? To me its putting the cart in front of the horse, lets get the town looking nice, then when the car park is overflowing build a new one.
Its about priorities.
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
The car park is overflowing now! Dover Priory only has 34 spaces. I have rarely been able to park at the station weekdays and have to resort to Military Hill.
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Kevin, on the rare occasion I go to London I never use the car park due to cost, as others have pointed out its cheaper to park nearby for free. Commuting is expensive enough without another £5/10 a day parking.
This plan has been badly thought out.
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
I have to disagree, David, as I think it's a good plan to meet demand and to build on the infrastructure of the high speed rail link. You only have to look at the car parks at stations like Ashford, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks to realise that commuters are willing to pay for car parking.
Are you proposing that we turn down Network Rail money? I wonder what local residents will think when their streets are lined with commuters' cars?
From the Network Rail website for Dover Priory
Parking Charges: £20.50 weekly, £72.00 monthly, £216.00 three-monthly, £432.00 six-monthly, £770.00 annually
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
Must be good for more visitors to Dover.
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Kevin, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, I would rather see DDC prioritise other things. As it stands we simply dont need a 500 space car park at the station
Guest 699- Registered: 3 Jun 2010
- Posts: 292
if it is on the halls newsagents side of the station ----- where the land was up for sale it is a good idea and would cut out the parking on the kerbs as wrote about here earlier in the week
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
david
nothing to do with d.d.c all outside funding just like the seafront.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,879
Yes Ron it is the platform 3 side where the ex goods shed is, I just hope there is a covered walkway to the Booking Hall.
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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 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
Maybe could install a good soundproof nightclub Function room on top of the car park.
Profit going back to the taxpayers?
Guest 705- Registered: 23 Sep 2010
- Posts: 661
I trust that included in all these improvements will be a proper watering facility for visiting steam locomotives.
Never give up...
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Wouldn't that be great Richard - open up a world of possibilities for steam trains to stop here for their admiring fans and the passengers to explore our heritage sites.
Roger
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
No DDC money is involved in this
The development site is the old warehouse on the left of the station as you look at it from Folkestone Road.
Many Dover commuters drive to Folkestone West to get a parking space - this facility will hopefully encourage them to use Dover Priory, but it will also relieve commuter parking on the streets around the station, particularly if coupled with residents permits.
Yes David we do also need to improve the Town Centre, some of which will hopefully be driven by you as part of the Town Team, some by DDC and some through partnership between both councils and yourselves and funding sources.
"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
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
The Town could quite easily be improved by adopting the Tourism Strategy and working on the Plan of Action for Dover Town and implementing paper I have written on how to bring a successful street-market to Dover.
I have sent it to you Ross and you David via an email (attachments) and to all those who were/are, on the Town Team, as well as the Town Council, through the ex-Mayor, Town Clerk and Sue Jones.
I have had some good/useful feedback from many places and bodies, including Kent Tourism, Dover Harbour Board and Britton McGrath.
It is odd that it is only the Town Council and Town-Team who don't/won't even acknowledge that you have received it - why would that be I wonder ?
I emailed Simon at Terson about an initiative that would have helped bring people into Dover, but that was ignored - why ?
I appreciate that I am "persona non-grata" but don't know why.
Many things can be done to make the Town more welcoming, cleaner and smarter and help the businesses and at the same time, move Dover forward, that won't cost the Earth, but because I have written them, they willl be ignored.
Roger
Guest 682- Registered: 19 Jan 2009
- Posts: 146
Hi all
Back to the Priory Station parking issue.
When the station itself was upgraded a number of years ago - before HS1 was a certainty for Dover this was through a number of partnerships and created thoughts on Dover as some where to keep an eye on.
Many of you will recall that after a heck of a lot of lobbying when HS1 was to finish its journey at Folkestone we managed to get a Government rethink to the extent that they purchased an extra train set and Network Rail carried out line improvements including moving the track in Shakespeare Tunnels. This was Team Dover, as we called it in those days, at its very best with all, well nearly all we did have some neggies, wanting this prestigious service to serve our town - since then it has also been extended during parts of the day to Deal & Sandwich but this couldn't have happened if we hadn't won the battle to get it to Dover in the first place.
At that time it was suggested by the rail industry that 34 parking spaces at Dover Priory were sufficient - cobblers and I said so right from the start but they wouldn't have it. We saw money invested in Folkestone and Ashford - Dover obviously started behind as we had to get the train here first - but we have been playing catch up very fast.
As Paul says above, there is continued interest in Dover and especially investment in Dover, even in these difficult times because, as one developer told me, Dover knows where it wants to go and is not leaving any stone unturned to get there. And we're not, look at the planning applications coming in and, yes, there are more to come - big stuff to but commercially sensitive at the moment so best not go there.
Why is this, because Dover is comparatively well connected to the rest of the UK, particularly London, by both road and rail. No 1 on my rail agenda is still to get the 1 hour time between St Pancras and Dover Priory and a number of us continue to lobby hard in a number of arenas.
So yes, this is good news for Dover, Dover is moving forward slowly but surely let's all start to sing this up and get the right messages out to the wider community - Dover is a good place to invest and we welcome entrepreneurs.
Nigel
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,879
Well put Nigel
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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 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Thanks for that post Nigel, very interesting. Yes we remember the shock horror prospect of the HSTrain finishing in Folkestone those years ago, when you look back then and asses it now...well it would have been horrific not to have brought it through to Dover, but at the time some great lobbying went on to save the day, primarily by yourself Nigel and Gwyn too as i remember working in harmony as team Dover.... things are getting ever better slowly but surely.
We definitely would welcome entrepreneurs...we are needing jobs.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
David, having been a commuter to London from East Kent for many years of my life, I can assure you that station parking arrangements are quite near the top of the list when choosing a place to commute from. The only stations in East Kent with proper provision are Faversham, Folkestone West and Westenhanger.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson