Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,707
Help Dover become a "Portas" Town !
by Dover Town Team on Monday, March 12, 2012 at 6:35pm ·
From the new Town Team's Facebook Page
Help Dover Win!
Mary Portas and the Local Government Minister, Grant Shapps, have launched a competition to choose 12 towns to become "Portas Pilots", with the winners benefiting from a share of £1million to help turn around their "unloved and unused" high streets.
The cash incentive is offered to those towns that come up with the best High Street blueprints in a move that fulfils the first and last recommendations of Mary Portas' High Streets Review, commissioned by the Prime Minister and published before Christmas.
Grant Shapps said:
"Our high streets have faced stiff competition from Internet shopping, and out-of-town shopping centres - leaving them underused, unloved and under-valued. The Internet is not going to go away, and so for our high streets to survive they need to offer something new and exciting.
"So today I'm offering a golden ticket to 12 town centres across the country to become "Portas Pilots" - areas with the vision and enthusiasm to breathe new life into what should be the beating heart of their communities, and they will get Mary's and my support as they try out the ideas in her recent review."
Taking forward the first recommendation from Mary Portas's review, the 12 successful localities will create Town Teams, made up of the key players in their local community - such as the council, local landlords, shopkeepers and the local MP.
These teams will then benefit from the backing of the Minister, Whitehall and Mary Portas herself as they take forward the recommendations from the review and in their area. They will also receive a share of £1million.
A small team of local businesses has joined forces to help put in a completed bid to win one of the grants available under the Portas scheme. We are actively encouraging all businesses in Dover to get behind the campaign and have a voice. The more vocal we are the better chance we have of winning a bid for a slice of the £1 Million on offer.
We also need the people of Dover to vote and express their views of the regeneration of the High Street and other areas in Dover to bring people into the town to spend their money!
Share this with all your friends and colleagues, if you want to become part of the team then drop us an email or send a PM through their Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/notes/dover-town-team/help-dover-become-a-portas-town-/258371974247348"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
Sorry Ross , I cant see how to message the group from the facebook page , but good luck with all your efforts
Cancel that Ive just worked out what to do , sorry !
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Not sure what to say Ross.
Were you invited to today's meeting ? As far as I know I am still to keep away and keep my thoughts to myself, so won't spoil/damage, their efforts by posting any comments.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
what have you done roger??
i would have thought your input would be needed, the original post mentions the council anyway.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
well well post 3 opens up a can of worms,,,,,,,,,
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,707
Roger - I was asked for my views, however this is a local business lead initiative so it was not appropriate at this point for community groups to be involved. We will be consulted once the bid documentation is at draft stage and our views etc taken into consideration; I am sure that local authorities will be included in that consultation.
"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
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,707
Actually Keith it really does not.
except if you are one of those who sees a conspiracy at every turn and constructs preposterous conclusions from the flimsiest of evidence
Now you wouldnt do that as you are one of lifes hard bitten realist
"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 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
The reality of this is that too much time has been allowed to slip through our fingers and we have 18 days to get a bid in. That bid needs to be innovative, eye-catching, meet precisely all the criteria laid down by Portas/Grant, and be supported by all the town centre stakeholders. And we need a professional-class video up on YouTube by the end of the month. That's a tall order. Anything I can do, I will do, but we need to leave out the politics and all pull together.
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
Absolutely Peter and the embryonic Town Team (all local business people) is doing just that.
They have some great ideas, are putting a video together and have the support of The DTC Town Clerk to produce the application, DTC Mayor & Deputy Mayor, leading lights at DDC, various Community Leaders and Community Forums.
Seriously we all need to support them and successful or otherwise continue to support them in driving forward.
"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
Ross, Keith does see a conspiracy at every turn.
I am having a problem with this; I have never attended any of the meetings (the first two anyway) as a Community Group Leader or as a Councillor, but as business supporter.
I haven't written a Tourism Strategy as a complete novice with no knowledge or experience of the subject and I am not writing a Plan of Action without any knowledge or experience of the subject.
I am not going to criticise.
Roger
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
Looks like you have to be a Facebook member to add a comment.

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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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Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,707
Yes - but talk to Louise M or e-mail me and I will pass it on
"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 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
And Charlie has to be kept in the loop at all times.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
I am a member but never visit Facebook, my point was that non members can not comment.
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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 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
This is indeed a business led initiative, it has to be and Louise is doing a superb job pulling it together in a very short time frame. Some great ideas are emerging and all will be revealed.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
with or without roger
this scheme appears to need everyones support
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
Yes absolutely, good luck.
It will be interesting to produce such a proposal, if not for this competition but merely to form a direction for our town.
It is a shame that Mary Portas should have to be involved.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Yes, Darren, but even if the bid fails we shall still have a viable blueprint for the future.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 717- Registered: 16 Jun 2011
- Posts: 468
Am I reading this right? The winners will 'share' the 1 million, 12 winners. Does not seem like a lot to help our Town Centre. Saying that though every little helps!
Keeps politics to myself
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Any successful Town Team should be able to leverage the 'pot' by bidding for match-funding from other sources.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson