Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
alex,that was for the dexters to graze on.
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
Quite a reasonable attendance despite the usual Dovorian apathy
Charlie Elphicke in conversation with Neil Wiggins
Charlie Elphicke and Neil Wiggins
Charlie Elphicke speechifying
An impassioned speech from someone I believe to be our forumite John Heron
The lady from UNITE speechifying
Lord Glasman speechifying
One of the young local bands who performed
Sarah Mandy and Phil at the WHPS stall, Scotchie out of shot
Richard Moffatt of the Dover Steamship Company with a lady who works for the same outfit as me
Ex mayoress Ronnie Philpott chatting with Chris Precious and his lady wife
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
great set of photos ed, to be pedantic ronnie was the mayor not mayoress.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
alexander;
whilst apathy always rules, i believe we should all unite behind the campaign to stop the privatisation of the port.
after that(if indeed the govt makes its mind up)
there may be some differences, but one step at a time
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 1694- Registered: 24 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,087
We had a 3 week lead time to organise this. I was unsure of what the attendance numbers would be like and made sure that stewarding arrangements were resilient rather than minimal. Despite the short lead time and consequent difficulty in publicising the event as much in advance as the organisers would have liked, there were a maximum of 500 people around at a couple of points during the morning (as estimated by the roaming security staff), a queue to sign the charter from before the start and until after the official finish and UNITE collected many hundreds of signatures (I haven't got the final count yet) on the charter. Overall the atmosphere was great, the bands were a brilliant exposition of local talent and visiting politicians and visiting (non-Kent) press were impressed with both numbers and strength of feeling expressed by those who came along.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Keith, IF....if the Government makes its mind up!
When I'm 64, will you come down and open the door?!
Hopefully we'll get a Decision Minister this time in the Cabinet reshuffle, and not a non-Decision minister.
This is all beginning to become tedious.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
Alexander
i'm with you on this one, this cobbled together govt need to make an earfly decision so things can move on
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Fully correct, Keith. The Government must know that Dover's vast majority rebuke the privatisation scheme presented by DHB, in its entirety, without the need for DHB going back and having another go at another privatisation request "to meet the requirements".
So if the Government, or Decision Minister, becomes minded to not approve DHB's request, and this most finally, then all other alternative proposals that have been made in relevant representations could be examined.
They can't just put everything underneath a chair and sit on it for the next two years.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well I am back and by looks of with Dover losing at home yet again and the numbers that turned out for the above, I did not miss anythink.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
alexaander
like you say most posters are against the harbour boards privatisation
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 705- Registered: 23 Sep 2010
- Posts: 661
Well, I felt that the community atmosphere on Saturday at Pencester was vibrant-I met some interesting people including a number of forumites. It was a great pleasure to put faces to names! It wasn't packed out but it was certainly busy. I spoke to many of the attendees and I heard not one positive comment about DHB.In fact there were quite a few detrimental ones! Everyone was right behind the principle of a people's port trust.
Alexander I am very interested knowing about 'all the other proposals'. Can you list them please and the relevant organisations behind them? Each of them would at least have to be as well presented as DPPT to stand any chance whatsoever. When will we hear from them? Will they have the guts and temerity to get the whole town behind them?
Never give up...
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Richard, I'm only basing my knowledge on what the Department for Transport informed me earlier this year, that all relevant representations - including mine - are being treated equally, and that DPPT is not being treated in any different manner in respect to all other persons and entities that have made representations on the DHB privatisation proposal.
If you like, we can meet up for a cider in Town and I'll show you the letter.
So my above post means: if the Decision Minister does not mind to approval the DHB request for privatisation, and does not give DHB another chance to present yet another proposal for privatisation, but rejects it outright most finally, then we can assume that any proposals concerning the Port of Dover made in relevant representations which are being taken into consideration, such as mine, that of DPPT and any other entities, will be put forward for consideration.
As proposed, if you believe that DPPT is being treated in a preferential way in regards to any other entity or person that has made a relevant representation that is being taken into consideration, then we can meet up in Town and I'll show you the written statement from the Department for Transport demonstrating the contrary.
My email address you have.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
wow alexander!!!!!!! now that realy is amazing,
I don't have the contents of your letter and would be surprized if they were covering all the running of the port should D.H.B. fail in its bid(even though that's not clear yet)
Although the peoples port is an option, it's not convinced a number of people(including me) at the moment i'm opposing the privatisation, but like john heron has said, take it one step at a time.
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Well this has made a good talking point for some years now,for a plan that will not come to anything ,by the D.H.B. OR the P/P as they call themselfs.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
one thing is for sure and that is the present trust status will end.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Nope, Keith!
I was referring to a letter from the Department for Transport, not from me.
Guest 705- Registered: 23 Sep 2010
- Posts: 661
So Alexander,for example, if your representation was accepted-who would implement it? Taking what you are saying literally begs the question-would you be moving into Bob's office?
Never give up...
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Richard, nope!
I wouldn't candidate myself as chief executive of the Port.
If my representation were accepted in its entirety:
1) either Local Government, or both Local and Central Government, would nominate the chief executives of the Port, or at least approve their nomination.
2) There would be a move to gradually open Western Docks to rail transport for freight (again, experts would do the planning, not me).
3) A Port toll would be divided among all three local councils and the Treasury - in all British commercial ports.
At this point I would apply for a job perhaps at DDC,
If all went well, I could be running an orchard in Kent.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
And pigs might fly.....
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
I would prefer to see the port remain a Trust Port and have not yet lost all hope that this will happen since both this government and the last have been prevaricating over it for years and seem most reluctant to bite the bullet.
Both political parties locally are desperately trying to distance themselves from having anything to do with the sale of the port.
Charlie Elphicke's latest newsletter manages to blame it on Labour four times in two short paragraphs: "Fighting Labour's port sell-off........ The Labour Government started a privatisation process to sell off our port to the French or whoever.....However Charlie has succeeded in stopping Labour's sell off so far....... If Ministers throw out Labour's sell off plan........" (a bit rich seeing that the Conservatives have flogged off all the rest of our national infrastructure).
Clair Hawkins meanwhile states "The Dover and Deal Labour Party has opposed port privatisation and campaigned against any sale of the port ever since the then Tory government first started selling off trust ports in the 1980s."
If it does get sold off, then I would much prefer the DPPT plan to the DHB one, indeed I am a paid up member of the DPPT. Neil Wiggins knows what he is talking about and has produced a comprehensive and fully worked out plan. There is no other plan on the table and all the representations by others are simply a few thin sheets of paper with a few nice-to-haves listed.
Alex - re your points:
Sadly, I see no chance whatsover of restoring rail transport for freight from the Western Docks. There is a ten billion pound railway running under the channel linking England and France. Nobody in their right mind is going to spend hundreds of millions to build train ferry berths, train ferries, trackwork, and a new Shakespeare Tunnel in order to carry next to nothing because the existing railway does it so much better.
The port toll has been discussed endlessly over the years, not least on this forum, and has never happened because the EU says no. It has been done in the past but that was when we were an independent country and not a member of the European community. KCC mooted it again fairly recently and nothing has come of it.
