Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Following on from my post above, I have received an email detailing all the 15 Towns that have won in this second round and the main reasons why they were awarded this money.
The thing is, that every single one of those reasons for winning, are in at least one of the documents I've written - The Tourism Strategy, The Plan of Action and The Street-Market.
O.K. I accept I am "persona non-grata" with a number of people and a couple of bodies, but isn't this cutting off one's nose to spite ones face ?
Roger
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
I cannot speak directly for the Town Team as I am not a member, however I believe that they have a proposal for a new street market and they definitely have a plan of action document.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Roger, we are aware of your document and it contains much useful information. However without wishing to go into detail on a forum, the problem is funding; as I have pointed out previously we don't have any money, which is the reason we applied to Portas.
Ross is correct, but at this stage it would be silly of us to make announcements and broadcast plans without the substance to follow them through. As soon as we have something concrete we'll keep you all informed
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Thanks Ross, yes I understand they have proposals for a street market, based on my paper, but without acknowledging they are my ideas - even moving the day to the same one.
Perhaps David, a Business-Plan to present to the various "potential" stakeholders who could fund this; everyone responds to a Business Plan.
I helped write the Business Plan that enabled Dover Chamber of Commerce get the funding for the Business Support Manager, three years ago; I'm sure I still have it, it could be used as a base to write a new one, but there's no point in me doing it as it will be either ignored, or the ideas used without any acknowledgement they came from me.
Being forced to be on the outside of any discussion on Dover's future is very frustrating, but I'm getting used to it now.
Roger
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Roger, nobody is forcing anybody anywhere, let's be honest here, the Dover Chamber of Commerce barely exists and the BSM was hardly a resounding success.
It's time for a fresh approach Roger
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Thanks David - I agree with your comments about DCoC, but in the 4 months I was doing that job, I was making some good progress and signing businesses up to it and getting initiatives off the ground; the fact that they dismissed me without any good business reason, was outside my control.
I think it is wrong to say it's time for a change in attitude or approach to resolving Dover's ills; I don't want to be rude at all, but you all must have read the Portas requirements and although I didn't copy Mary Portas's ideas, all her ideas were in those 3 documents I've written, so it isn't/can't be, a case of a fresh approach is required - I thought you were supporting Mary Portas ideals ?
Appointing a Town Team Manager, creating partnerships with local bodies and organisations, introducing a street-market etc. etc. - all Mary Portas ideals, all in my documents.
Roger
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
Roger, markets have been operating for centuries, it's not a new concept. Trade and commerce organisations likewise.
For various reasons Dover has been in the doldrums for decades, it may be that the Portas team think we don't need help, it may be they think we're beyond saving, who knows. As I've pointed out, your document contains useful information but we simply don't have the money or resources to fund a competent person and provide them with the resources required.
Anyway, we're going over old ground, hopefully now the Town Team knows where it stands we can start to make some progress, I'll keep you informed via the forum.
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
Just in from the Planning Portal.
More funding pledged to help ailing high streets
Nearly 400 'Town Teams' are to win backing from a multi-million pound package of Government support to revive their high streets, Local Government Minister Grant Shapps announced.
The news came as Shapps announced 15 new Portas Pilots, taking the total across the country to 27. The minister issued a call to MPs from the 392 Town Teams not chosen, to come forward and sign a national pledge to become a Town Team Partner - enabling access to a package of support to their own town. The package of support is worth £5.5m nationwide.
Meanwhile, Communities secretary Eric Pickles has highlighted Government proposals to scrap restrictions that prevent start-up businesses from temporarily using empty high street shops that can help attract shoppers back to more family-friendly town centres.
His comments came as the Department for Communities and Local Government published a new guide which shows how use of high street areas can help attract customers. 'Re-imagining urban spaces to help revitalise our high streets' identifies ways to lure shoppers into town by making it a more social experience, as recommended by Mary Portas.
Ideas include removing street clutter for pedestrians, more street stalls and 'pop-up' shops as well as attractions like pavement cafés, play areas, outdoor libraries or street entertainment.
Eric Pickles said: "Leaving empty shops to rot is a wasted economic opportunity that spoils the town centre - that is why we are proposing to scrap the damaging red tape that is keeping so many boarded up. This change can unleash our young entrepreneurs to open pop-up shops and turn the high streets into an exciting start-up launch pad."
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i notice the mention of red tape being mentioned but the issues facing most potential start ups are high rents and business rates.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
There are many issues facing start-up businesses and it is possible to get rent concessions from many landlords to help in the early stages. I know some businesses who have done this. Business rates are a problem and this is where we need business rates to be brought back to local decision making and for local revenue raising rather than the now discredited uniform business rate.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
Speaking as someone who has started retail businesses and is considering doing so again, rent is usually negotiable and particularly so at times like these as landlords look to reduce their property costs, business rates are a huge issue as the current discount schemes etc are set too low to have any positive impact on any but the smallest of shops and certainly adversely impact the high street.
As for red tape it is fine provided you do not employ anyone, but once you do ....
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Ahhh Ross - you are so right and that bring me to other things I have been saying elsewhere!!!!!! I will keep them there.
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
I know that it is a real shame that Dover was not awarded the money, but I personally see this as a positive thing. As I said on one of the original threads about the Portas bid, this money is little more than a gesture, allowing Ms Portas to make yet another mind numbing 9pm series for C4.
The bottom line is 'does it make good TV?'. I honestly think if the videos had included some made hair-brained, ill-conceived ideas that had the potential to meet C4's 'good TV' criteria, then we might have got it.
I also feel (as said before) that Dover's problems are more than the superficial issue of empty shops. A fine example of our problems is embodied in the shop shown in our bid, the one that used to be The school uniform shop. The team talk about a dialogue between street market and shop and how these could mingle into one. This is (in principle) a wonderful idea. However in reality this shop is on the other side of a road and a heavy wall of permanent planters. This kind of break in dialogue happens all over our town and this is where efforts should be focused. Maybe we should not be asking 'what do we need?' instead asking 'what don't we need?'. Perhaps this would lead to a more coherent place.
Incidentally the idea of trade spilling to and from the market square used to happen in the days of the covered market. All that is now left is the building's facade, now that of the museum. Can anyone tell me who decided this should be demolished?
On a positive note, why do we want Mary Portas anyway? She has made her name working for big shops and brands, the types that have been the death of many of our high streets. The likes of topshop, once on most high streets, is now only interested in out of town facilities. Such outlets have just left large holes in high streets, unfeasible to fill with any kind of start up business. Portas and her type are the enemy, mass consumerism and high street brands killing the quaint grain of our retail habits. You only have to look to towns with a lack of 'big name stores' to see successful, functioning towns.
What this farcical bid has done is actually far better than it's original intention, and that is to bring together a focused group of business people to think about how our town can improve. The Town Team should be proud and also be supported to achieve their future goals.
One last thing: why does Mr Elphicke say 'o clocks' in the video and not 'o clock'?
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Thank you at least for that Keith.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Guest 782- Registered: 4 Oct 2012
- Posts: 357
Fair one Howard. We have talked about this at Town Team meetings and we agree.
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
A theory was put forward that schemes such as Portas and Big Local are nothing more than Govt PR stunts - they offer up the money in the knowledge most of it will never see daylight.
Cynical but plausible
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,883
They might be stunts but in Dover's case the stunt has worked otherwise we might not have had the Town Team or the thriving Bluebird Market.
Who needs that dragon Mary Portas and her TV team our Town Team have done very well without her.
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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 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
