Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Serious question please Gary:
I've no idea what sort of money will be available and where. Lets assume in the first year there's £1m, what would you like to see happen with it?
Guest 1694- Registered: 24 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,087
Dover wins Mr Vic. Understand that, Dover wins and the community will have real people selected and elected by them on the reconstituted Port of Dover Board of Directors who will have a real voice for the community. Whether I have a place or not is not the reason why I, and many others, have spent so much time and effort on this. The entire reason was to ensure that Dover got what it really needs and my house was worth it
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Mr Weggins sir.
Just a yes or no please did you or did you not get a p/p port which is what you started out to get again just a yes or no.
Please do not dress it up like You and others are trying to do.
In A yes or no you would have lost your house on the bet had you gone a head with one. I know when we was talking that was added on just for fun but again yes or no to your p/p port. thank you.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
ah just seen it,my apologies howard.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Vic, it's not exactly the form we would have ideally preferred, we wanted the town to have ownership, not just a degree of control. But it has achieved our three main objectives: 1. The port is now safe from privatisation, 2. it will now be accountable to the people of the town and 3. it can now be an engine for regeneration. And it's achieved another subsidiary objective: no big windfall payments for the likes of Dr Goldfield. These achievements are primarily due to the hard work and tenacity of Charlie, Neil and Sir Patrick Sheehy.
And you can congratulate yourself on it still being a trust port (it has not been a Royal Port since 1606) while such a status continues to exist, which is unlikely to be for long.
We shall now see how things go, DPPT is playing the long game. If the changes yield the desired results, then all well and good. If not, the DfT will be hearing from us again.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Good post Peter and well done for all your hard work.
Non exec director?
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
David Little.
Good question, one I will answer honestly, which will contain some negative issues, which I will apologise for in advance.
As I do not live in Dover, it would not be right for me to answer this question in any other way, except how I perceive Dover as a non-resident.
To improve Dover, I believe you have to start with what was is good and is already successful, look to what can be done to improve the town and build on those success's.
Dover Castle, Western Heights, Dover Museum, Town Hall, lovely churches, Crabble Mill, Dover Transport Museum, The Seafront, Kearsney Abbey, Waldershare Park, Russell Gardens, Bushey Ruff, Connaught Park, various listed building's and more (sorry if I've missed some) are all assets and sites of interest that visitors to Dover would love to experience and I believe it is these assets and future projects planned for Dover that could turn Dover's fortunes around.
The Cruise Terminal could be one of Dover's best assets. The Cruise Terminal Team has done a magnificent job under very difficult circumstances. Dover's global position, a fair way up the English Channel, has probably been the biggest challenge in keeping the Terminals open and I believe that had Canterbury not been so close, the Cruise Companies might have pulled out long ago. The cruise team are to be commended for keeping it open and are doing what they can for Dover.
Now, Dover must give the cruise ship companies, a reason to consider the town of Dover, as their main visitor attraction for their passengers.
The worst part of Dover and what I think is the main problem, is the awful experience of driving through Dover from both directions.
Between the top Jubilee Way roundabout and the Aycliffe roundabout, I doubt if any new visitor driving along this route, would even think about stopping or coming back to Dover, to visit in the future. That means that they are missing out on visiting some wonderful things that we know Dover has to offer them.
I know that I am saying nothing new here and before it all kicks off about who is responsible for looking after this route.
That argument will just go round in circles, as it has done, for so many damaging years.
It is a problem that needs solving today, one way or another it cannot be allowed to fester
The fact is, that it is damaging Dovers Visitor Experience.
Whose responsible and who should pay for turning this problem into an asset, for Dover, should be resolved now for the sake of Dovers future.
So your answer from me, David, is to spend the first £1million, on re-vamping this route, creating a better experience for potential visitors traveling through Dover, thereby building up the visitor numbers at its already established visitor sites, enabling them to improve their visitor experience and numbers, which will give the Cruise Companies a reason to use Dover as its main visitor attraction for its Cruise Passengers in the future.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Thanks Gary, very good post.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Dover should be a UNESCO World Heritage site and some of the Big Local money plus (now) funds from the port and DDC should be committed to fund a bid. Dover has far more than other successful bidders.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,904
Well put Peter.
If it had not been for the Peoples Port imput the DHB would still be dictating what happens with the town having virtually no say, things should now change for the better.
Gary,
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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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Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
There have been approaches for World Heritage status on the military elements of Dover's heritage. We need the Western Heights restoration under before we bid. The designation also brings restrictions,some of which will sterilise elements of development. English Heritage would need to be supportative , primarily because the majority of sites are in their ownership. I think the last round of national bids concluded in the last year or so. Another round must be due soon be underway. The last bid which included Dover was for the Straits of Dover - French & English- I believe & was sponsored by KCC but went nowhere.
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Peter Garstin wrote:Dover should be a UNESCO World Heritage site and some of the Big Local money plus (now) funds from the port and DDC should be committed to fund a bid. Dover has far more than other successful bidders.
Put that on the agenda for Saturday Peter
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
some interesting posts here, the problem of spending money on the approaches is that should be done by the highways agency - if money is spent once then they might well decide to leave it to dover to maintain in future.
i seem to remember andrew richardson setting the ball rolling on the world heritage site roughly ten years ago.
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
My apologies, I did include " future projects planned for Dover " as assets but I should have thanked many other people for their hard work (not just the Cruise Team)
Howard.
That argument "should be done by the highways agency" will just send it round in circles and nothing will ever be done.
Sit down and work with them to make them do it.
Do what needs to be done and bill them for it?
Go halves with them on it?
Or for the sake of Dover's future, get their permission and get it done.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
You can dress it up in anyway you like but it remains a Royal port.
Guest 732- Registered: 8 Nov 2011
- Posts: 128
Great news that the ports not going to be sold and yet people still like to snipe.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Plus ca change, Vince, plus c'est la meme chose.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
#292, unfortunately I now have to be in Taunton on Saturday so it will have to wait. I'll leave the tomatoes in the fridge, they'll be all the softer by next weekend.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Just another tory coward, first Charlie blocks me on facebook now you've got the colly wobbles. You could always send Barry along in your place, he's more UKIP in outlook than I am. If I'm feeling benevolent I'll book him in for some Tory cleansing, a bit like the crackpots in America who say they can "cure" gays.
Enjoy the cider, get in touch when you get back, that's if I'm still around.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Miaow. Not a Tory. No collywobbles. I support politicians for their personal qualities, not for their party affiliation. If an actual, real live UKIP European Parliament candidate bothered to take the trouble to knock on my door and talk about the euro elections they might just get my vote, because nobody else will. Or if a proper old-fashioned hustings was held in my village or even in Dover I might go along and listen.
Don't alienate the electorate by accusing them of cowardice, I have to go to Somerset for the weekend and the wife's family are far more terrifying than you, believe me. Staying in Dover would be the easy way out. And Kentish cider is much better than Somerset.
Perhaps I'll leave the tomatoes out of the fridge......
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson