Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
On one level I can see the argument about limited catchment area but then when I look at thriving West Country seaside towns or consider Boulogne, Calais, Le Touquet......etc it seems that clarity of purpose and drive seem to be factors as much as catchment area.
Why do I, someone with the ability to gain access to information, not have a clear idea as to what Dover will look like in 20 or 30 years time - apart from more housing at Whitfield and the DTIZ?
Where is the coherent message that indicates what actions are being planned that will make Dover a thriving town again? It needs to be 'out there' for people to sign up to and feel part of rather then just being recipients of apparently disjointed activities.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
mark,the answer is dont hold your breath,as it could prove fatal.dover has been crying out to be regenerated since may 1945,and as it stands still no movement of what needs to be done.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Peter #80 - unfortunately they are not IN Dover but on the outskirts and many who visit do not spend in the town. EH are not at all interested in the town and that is a complete disgrace.
We have to face the simple facts Keith.
Dover cannot compete with Canterbury or Ashford, both have 360 degree catchments and have a much, much wealthier demograph. If you wanted to set up a leisure business in this area if you had any sense you would not pick Dover. I wish it wasn't true but it is. Facing up to the facts instead of wishful thinking is not defeatism.
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
We have been through this business of the catchment area umpteen times. In my view, Canterbury and Ashford are much less fortunate than Dover in this respect. They only have 360 degree catchments, much of which is green fields anyway.
Dover, by contrast, is a major transport hub with fourteen million people passing through every year. People are being delivered here from all over this country and all over Europe. No need to settle for just trying to attract those in the locality.
It is the focus of two motorways, two mainline railways, two major ferry routes and an endless succession of cruise ships.
If there is no leisure business in this country that has the ability to see the potential goldmine waiting for anybody with the business acumen to put in place unmissable attractions that will tempt this river of humanity to devote an hour or two in Dover to punctuate their headless rush from A to B then it is a commentary on their own lack of vision and on our own inability to persuade them.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
100% agree, Ed.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
A small independent retailer in Margate says business has doubled since the Turner opened, we need a focal point to attract visitors. There was talk of a cable car running from the clocktower to the castle, that would be amazing.
I have no faith at all in DDC delivering anything worthwhile
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
DDC can't delivery anything, they don't have the money, they can only try work with people that have the money that want to invest and they don't seem to be knocking at Dover's door !!
Cable Car is the world idea since the chocolate teacup, EH can't even open the Castle in more than a breeze let alone run a cable car to it
Been nice knowing you :)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i am one of those that likes the idea of the cable car, they operate in a lot more hazardous conditions than dover and think any logistical problems can be sorted.
of course there has to be a pick up and drop off point in market square, not direct from the seafront to the castle.
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
No way anybody is going to knock at dingy, derelict old Dover's doors. We have to go and knock at theirs and show them what a lot of money they can make out of the place if they have the imagination.
I love the idea of the cable car. The only one I have been in was up to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town. That does not run when it is windy but has a double cable to enable it to operate up to a certain wind strength. It has managed to carry over eleven million passengers so being a bit windy from time to time has not precluded it from being a very potent tourist attraction. I have been round the Cape of Good Hope many times and can vouch for the fact that it can get very windy indeed.
On a day like today, sunny and still, a cable car trip to Dover Castle would be a super attraction. If it is windy and rainy then punters would have to find something else to do. Just because it would not run 24/7 all year round does not rule it out as a splendid attraction. It is a high tech glamorous fun thing, not a mundane workaday transport link. Think London Eye not London Underground.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
A cable car will be one thing that offers the potential to get people into the town. It would in itself be an attraction and people instead of driving straight to the castle could, instead come to central Dover and take a cable car ride to the castle. They are then more likely to spend a bit of time and money in the town. It would work the other way too, getting people down from the castle.
I remember back in the 70's and then the pub talk was about the millions of passengers and why on earth could we not capitalise on them and get them into the town!!... The same old argument then. Quite frankly, people travelling to and from Europe are mostly interested in getting to their destination with very few likely to stop off unfortunately. At the end of the day investors will look at the demographics and will not base decisions on 'what if travellers stop in Dover'. Sorry Ed and Peter, I had that same pipe dream as you but pipe dream is all it is.
That does not mean we don't try to get more to pull some of them into the town as part of re-generation of course, particularly that associated with the marina with a kind of Spinaker Tower kind of thing of course but we have to be realistic in our expectations and understanding of what will attract investors.
Paul aka is absolutely right, DDC has no cash and very little direct influence on getting this done. They can only work with partners (and get the planning approvals right...). They are often blamed incorrectly for things not happening (sometime correctly too... but mostly the blame assigned to them is overdone)
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,894
I am a cable car sceptic, should it ever be built which I doubt I do not think it would benefit the town very much at all unless it started somewhere like Pencester. Trade would be very good at first and then dwindle away in to almost nothing as it would be relying on tourists which we do not get enough of.
It will be interesting to see what the Turner Gallery figures are in a couple of years as to whether it has helped Margate in the long term.
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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 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
A tram system that links all of the attractions (and potential) attractions would make more sense. Just think:
Whitfield (park and ride) - Fort Burgoyne - Castle - Town Centre - Western Heights - Seafront - Docks
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
A cable car to the castle would be on a hiding to nothing for half of the year with English Heritage at the other end.
How about a Formula 1 Grand Prix? Start and finish on Townwall St, turn right at swimming pool, past the White Horse (premium rates for a seat in the window!), up Castle Hill to the roundabout, down Jubilee Way and along the seafront to the clocktower for a good view from the yachts in the harbour, over the swingbridge, back along Snargate St to the start/finish and the pits behind the Gateway.
Don't scoff, there's nothing in that idea that isn't done on the existing circuits already
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
how about the reality of a bowling centre
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,894
A big sporting event in this part of the county would certainly help raise the profile of the whole area. At the moment only Folkestone Races, Canterbury cricket and maybe car racing at Lydden are likely to make the national papers in very small print if lucky.
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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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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
there is talk of us losing our sports centre up to whitfield, so any talk of other forms of entertainment and recreation in the town are rather irrelevant at this time.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Why not utilise the seafront more. Pedalillos,Giant Banana rides,rowing boats,affordable kayak hire etc. Just a thought..
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Marek your spelling is terrible. People want to see peccadilloes not Pedalillos.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Absolutely Peter thanks for correcting me I just couldn't remember the names of the things... the result of years of abusing my body and having just taken a cocktail of prescribed pills. Have 3 hospital appointments over the next 10 days and a scan so my mind is not where it should be
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Been nice knowing you :)