Guest 1033- Registered: 23 Aug 2013
- Posts: 509
Thanks Ross, as usual a measured response to the questions asked. (Unlike my provocative effort) I was probably the first to ask questions on this forum about Love Dover, as at that time it was shown as a limited company but did not appear to exist as one, arousing my very suspicious mind. My mind is certainly at rest now, so perhaps people could now leave the Mayor alone, and nag at their local Town Councillors to get the DDC to clean up the empty shops in their respective wards.
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Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,982
With due respect Barrie The Mayor is a Town Councillor for the Buckland ward,and he still has to represent that area.The Mayor is also chairman of the Town Council.When Ann Smith was Mayor she also worked hard for her ward ,Buckland . And did a very good job.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,982
With due respect Barrie The Mayor is a Town Councillor for the Buckland ward,and he still has to represent that area.The Mayor is also chairman of the Town Council.When Ann Smith was Mayor she also worked hard for her ward ,Buckland . And did a very good job.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,657
Thank you John and keep reading.
I believe the only problem the most doubtful amongst us had was the suddenness and secrecy that surrounded the first purchase, this has been explained and accepted by those with no agenda.
I now await the naming of these new and hopefully impartial trustees and the purchase of some of the dilapidated premises that have been neglected for far too many years.
Ross Miller likes this
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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 1997- Registered: 3 Mar 2017
- Posts: 148
Thanks to Ross and all the other contributors who have kindly supplied more information. The sequence of events and the thinking behind them are now much clearer to me. It's a credit to this forum that it became the conduit for information that should be more readily available.
I'm yet to be convinced that Dickens Corner would have necessarily have become a basket case upon the present owner's retirement but that's purely a personal view. It will be interesting to see how the Love Dover initiative progress. Public scrutiny can certainly do no harm. The proof of the pudding...
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Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,573
Thank you howard ,of course any one wishing to seriously get hold of me can(and do every day)
But to the more important issues
Like John Heron I was elected In October and I questioned the Mayor at the first meeting I was at.
Unlike John , I didn't get the details as he did, The Mayor did explain why, In August the Town Council had given away £350,000,and the merits of doing so(which have been explained in many postings above) What he didn't mention was that he was to be a Director as was the Town Clerk.
Also that the Town council has no further ways of making this group accountable(apart from going through the charity commission)
At the next meeting I did ask many questions of the Mayor/Clerk, including an article in the kent on line where in it he stated the Town council would still be the accountable body, he stated he didn't know anything about he article, I then asked him if he was, or has refuted the contents to which there was no reply.
At this same meeting it should be said I asked many questions on the accountability of the money and how the Directors came into being(self appointed)
As Did Labours G Cowan who edged on would the Mayor financially benefit from works on the property and who are the proposed newer Directors.
John Ward(Con) asked a few questions as did Cllr Shirley but the rest of the Lab, conservatives independents remained silent.
We should all hope this venture works, but it should be noted that if it fails the clerk and the Mayor have to payback just a pound each!!!
On the rest of John Heron's post, there are a number of concerns over councils joining together and doubts if there will be any savings, in fact through the council tax it could cost us a lot more and have councillors representing areas far to large to be able to be effective in.
Regarding the councils I believe in local decision making as local as possible so should a supr council get of the ground then I hope they will get rid of KCC and cascade these services down through the super council and Town council.
With regard to Dover forum, I believe in contacting/giving my views as widely as possible through s many channels as possible, Dover Forum being just one of them.
We should though try to encourage councillors to post, at the moment wedo get regular postings from Sue N John H (which I hope he will post often) P Watkins and I noticed g cowan made a couple recently. and of course Bob Frost.
Pam brivio posts on and off
And a few others contribute now and again.
I would like to see us be constructive in encouraging all our councillors to contribute
Well I wasn't going to say much lol
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Button- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 2,900
Credit where it's due - thank you Mr Sansum.
Of course the property is an asset and could be sold, I suppose, in the event the charity was wound up.
(Not my real name.)
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,573
Hello Mr/Mrs/Ms? Button
Like all social media I try to inform, the problem is people (a few) start to make personal remarks and it hardly encourages councillors to contribute.
We may not agree with what councillors do(or don't do) but in years gone by many councillors have contributed but many gone, because things became to personal, and who can blame them for not posting.
Like I stated in my last posting Dover Forum is just one of many outlets I use, I also post in my face book page.
It is difficult when you look at councillors, for me I will vote for someone who lives in the ward or has at least been active.
I wouldn't be on the Town council had the local labour party stood a local person not voting fodder.
Whilst on this at the count all the parties on the 2 counts(Priory and Castle) all candidates were having a laugh, only one party didn't and stood glum faced throughout. then they came 3rd which is a disaster for them if only they realised it.
They are so misinformed locally they tried to expel me from the labour party for standing against them but I voluntary left the party over 6 years ago due to work.
I'm not seeing any of the parties active in my ward and I can only presume come the next elections they will again just expect people to vote for them. in wont happen and hopefully more candidates will come forward.
I said at my first meeting party politics should play not part on Town councils, but as they are there I will work with the Tories/Indies/Labour on what's best for Dover but I am only 1 of 18, And many will just follow the party line. I'm working with a conservative on a project at the moment.
I'm, also working with an independent on another.
You could, on the super council be all for it if you believed Cllr Watkins, but now questions are coming forward on costs that we might not be saving, it could even cost us a lot more, I hate to mention this but maybe a referendum on this major change is required.
It should be said in fairness that Cllr Watkins doesn't have many choices as the Govt is starving councils of dosh, and there's nothing else to cut.
Everyone wants a better Dover, it's how(or if)it's achieved is the big question
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,482
'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
"You could, on the super council be all for it if you believed Cllr Watkins, but now questions are coming forward on costs that we might not be saving, it could even cost us a lot more, I hate to mention this but maybe a referendum on this major change is required.
It should be said in fairness that Cllr Watkins doesn't have many choices as the Govt is starving councils of dosh, and there's nothing else to cut."
The various councils involved are all meeting this coming Wednesday to discuss the proposed super council and I suspect and hope that the plans get voted down when the time comes.
Guest 1590- Registered: 22 Oct 2015
- Posts: 86
Hi everybody,I am with Keith on this,with something as important as the proposed amalgamation a referendum across the district should be conducted.This would give a clear indication to see if there is or a will or an appetite for the proposed integration.If the referendum indicates that the people are for it then there is a clear mandate to move forward. I do take on board how costly a general poll would be,but I believe that this decision is so vitality important to the future of the district that selective polling or surveying is not the answer.
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Guest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
It would have been nice to have had a referendum before the creation of DDC. I am sure many people in the distinct would have preferred to have nothing to do with Dover.
Jack of Hearts
Guest 1590- Registered: 22 Oct 2015
- Posts: 86
Here is an idea.Why don't the four councils in question pool their resources to off set the prohibitive costs of a referendum.That way everyone across the four district councils that is interested has the opportunity to have a voice in the decision making process.It also would be a very good indicator of how effectively integration would work.
Paul M- Registered: 1 Feb 2016
- Posts: 393
I'm more than content for our elected representatives to consider and make difficult decisions on my behalf. That's what we elect you to do. Calling for a referendum is a cop out and I think most people have just about had enough of referendum s and the fallout of whatever the decision is.
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,482
jheron wrote: Something as important as the proposed amalgamation a referendum across the district should be conducted.
Wrong John.
On most detailed pieces of policy, the average voter - and I include myself - does not understand what is really at stake and does not care to find out. This is not a slight on voters. It is a recognition of our common sense.
Why should we devote hours to studying every policy question that arises, especially when we know that our individual vote is unlikely to make the slightest difference to the outcome?
It would indeed be a deluded vote who stayed up all night revising for an election thinking his or her vote would make the slightest difference!
Because of this we have a system of representative democracy where we vote for those who we hope have both the time and the ability to make difficult decisions on our behalf (because most of us have much better things to do with our time than waste it pointlessly and pompously pontificating at Fort Whitfield (N.B.other venues are available) and swotting up on the intricacies of everything from the Housing Act (1988) to the Water Act (2014) via the Climate Change Act (2008) and how it relates to sticking an electric car charging point in Townwall Street!)
This does NOT stop us from holding forth on what are 'obvious' solutions to everything from Education to the position we should take on Nato Troops in the Baltic States with a sophistication and knowledge which would put Donald Trump to shame (and that is not sarcasm!).
Most Dovorians do not know who (or even why) their local councillor is and don't give a toss who takes their council tax as long as their bins are collected. Period.
Let's hope that those we elected are able to make the correct choice (not that any of this be remembered ten years down the line WHATEVER the result).
Is it all about efficiency and service to individual consumers who just happen to share a post-code in which case lets go the whole hog and give it to Amazon or Google to sort out OR do we, with the slightly expanded lump on top of our reptilian brain, work better and live happier when we are part of 'communities' with services to be provided to groups of people who relate to each other, and if so what is the best size of grouping?
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'If no one went no faster than what I do there'd be a sight less trouble in this world'
Guest 1590- Registered: 22 Oct 2015
- Posts: 86
And that is why the Dover Forum is so good.It gives an almost instant and measured response to questions.A very good point Paul M and a very astute and logical argument from the Captain as ever.
Paul M likes this
Guest 687- Registered: 2 Jun 2009
- Posts: 513
I have read all the posts that refer directly to the subject of #lovedover and decided the only way forward is to contribute directly to the charity formed by following Jan's suggestion in post 36 and have today applied to become a Trustee.
I no longer have any attributable affiliation to a political party or apart from taking my begging bowl on behalf of The Riverside Centre , I have no connection to any council, so truly a neutral voice.
Jan Higgins, howard mcsweeney1, Button and
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Button- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 2,900
I take that technically the trustees are the (post-holders of the) mayor and town clerk?
(Not my real name.)
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,657
I hope you succeed Ken.
I am surprised the extra trustees have not been appointed three months seems plenty of time to have chosen some, the delay makes me wonder if there will even be any other trustees that might possibly rock their comfy little boat.
Guest 687 likes this
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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 1831- Registered: 1 Sep 2016
- Posts: 395
#35
Terry Nunn Thank you for taking the time to photograph what is rapidly becoming
3 dormitory shelters opposite Marks and Spencer. Rags - tatters and cardboard again.
Due to business matters, I am spending a lot of time in Deal and Sandwich, lately.
Yes, yes, Deal and Sandwich are under the same District Council.
Yet, there is nothing like:
the prominent derelict properties we have in Dover.
This does not happen in Deal and Sandwich - so why?
Knock knock...these premises are Main High Street.
Who is going to do something?