Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#1
I think this rant is quite justified. Chris Precious has given his permission to share...........
"Personal rant of the day.
In the centre of Dover we have three historic buildings that, through their connections, stand as impressive testimonies to a great part of not only the town's but also the country's history.
Following the murder of Thomas a Becket a chapel was built in Dover, dedicated to St. Edmund of Abingdon, to cater for the pilgrims making their way to Canterbury spiritual needs. To cater for their more physical needs the Maison Dieu (now better known as the Town Hall) was built. After Henry the 8ths transformation of the English church the Maison Dieu became a storehouse for the navy and eventually a residence, Maison Dieu House, was built for the victualler, later a library and now the offices of the Town Council.
Elsewhere in the town we have the Roman Painted House and the Museum, displaying the Bronze Age boat in its award winning gallery. On the hills to the West there is the Drop Redoubt, showing the defence of the country from Napoleonic times through to World War 2, with the Grand Shaft linking it to the seafront. Over in the East there is Dover Castle with its long proud history.
Nestled beneath the world famous White Cliffs there is the harbour, in use since the Bronze Age and an important port from Roman Times to the present. Always a vital part of the countries trading, the port has led the countries defence from being one of the original five Cinque Ports to being the destination of two thirds of those rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk.
Today the port stands as the countries busiest and an essential link in the growth in trade necessary to the countries growth.
Having stood as a bastion in the defence of the country and as a vital port of entry for people and trade, a vital gateway to the whole countries development and growth, Dover faces being torn apart by a road. As the whole country longs for economic growth, ever more cheap goods, for a larger share of tourism and for easier travel what is important to the nation as a whole is being treated as a local issue. Growth is very much a national issue and the national road system can no longer support the demands being made upon it.
Over the past months we have seen how bad weather, problems with ferries, difficulties in the Channel Tunnel or accidents can block the roads across the South East of the country. Fresh produce goes to waste in traffic jams, goods and raw materials are delayed from getting to their destinations and drivers suffer deprivations and major problems keeping within their safe driving hours. Despite this all the proposals, all suggestions continue to place the reliance on one route and one road, cutting Dover in half and creating a permanent bottle-neck.
Instead of short-term and short-sighted planning for build ups of traffic the government should be looking at changes and improvements to the road network and opening up new routes to the continent, Ramsgate being an obvious option. The reliance on one road, cutting through a town so important to the heritage of the country, is no longer an option in the twenty first century and to do so will only mean the end of the town. Economic growth is now of the greatest importance to the country as a whole and ensuring its continuance means that the government has to look at the country as a whole and provide long term solutions. The most important of these has to be the movement of goods and people. Patching up a route that is no longer fit for purpose is not the answer."
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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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Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#2
a lot of good points made there.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#3
Agreed Brian but Ramsgate is not a serious option with hauliers looking for the shortest sea crossing and the port unable to take the super ferries that we have today. An entrepreneur is talking about running freight and passengers services from there but admits that if it happens it will have very little impact on Dover.
Guest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
#4
Catch 22: The economy of Dover is based on people travelling through it, if it was a destination it would quickly become a ghost town. Ramsgate is a viable option and so is increasing Chunnel throughput. DTIZ will need to capture traffic passing through to survive that's why the majority of takers are based on this demographic, restaurants and M&S Simply Food.
Jack of Hearts
