Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
http://westernheightsandfarthingloe.co.uk/
Won't have a chance to look at this properly until the weekend, but the exhibitions take place next week !
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
I do see though that the dreaded 'lift up the Grand Shaft' has come up again !
Been nice knowing you :)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
sounds the height of vulgarity, would be surprised if permission was given for it to happen.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Please everyone try and get along to the exhibitions:
The Western Heights Preservation Society are keen to do what is best for the long term future of the 'Heights' so please also let us know what you think about the plans
"Our public exhibitions will be held on 27th, 28th and 29th March 2012:
•on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th March 2012 from 10am to 4pm - Market Square, Dover, CT16 1PB
•on Thursday 29th March 2012 from 5pm to 8pm - The Thatched Barn, Folkestone Road, CT157AA
•with further displays following these dates at St Pancras Station, London and De Bradelei Wharf, Dover"
Been nice knowing you :)
So no exhibitions at the weekend when the majority of people will be able to see and then make informed comment then ?
Glass lift and cable car extension ! All we need is a pumpkin coach and 7 league boots to complete the fantasy
Cynically it looks like " how can we shoehorn a residential developement into a major historic site without anyone noticing "
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i am seeing it that way too, i would have no problem with the much talked about hotel/conference centre though.
Neither would I Howard , Another aspect of this design that I really dislke , is the weasel insertion of the " potential application for a war memorial in the future " That is posturing of the lowest order .
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
WHPS amongst others realise that no-one is going to come along with the £millions that the Heights need and deserve, and realise that there will need to be some 'compromise'
Already a lot of changes have been made based on some of our feedback and the current plans are more reasonable though still need a lot of work and things need to be done sensitively and not to the long term detriment of the site
A hotel and conference centre, and a visitor centre in the Drop Redoubt and memorial may be the permanent presence that is needed up there which will will fund and secure the future for the Heights
Still a lot to digest and I look forwards to seeing the latest designs as a website never does justice to these sort of things, WHPS will certainly do what is right and will appreciate feedback to us as well as CGI
Been nice knowing you :)
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
a hotel and conferance center/visators center i could put up with. but houseing up there no chance,its bad enough for locals to get up and down from there when it snows let alone new home owners/renters.
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
The plans for a hotel and conference centre look good and is long overdue on the Western Heights. I have to say however, I shall remain sceptical until I see the builders on site! Isn't this the same developer who was championing a major development at Manston to accommodate Chinese manufacturing? We still haven't seen a sod of earth turned on that site!
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Kevin that one depends on getting the airport sorted. As long as the local nimbies object to night flights the regeneration of Thanet is on hold. How many current residents were there when the aerodrome was built 96 years ago? They all moved there knowing there was an airfield in their area.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
I have heard a figure £2m to get this application to this stage.
That is serious money to deliver all the requirements and studies of all the quango agencies just to get to a formal application lodged.
Is it any wonder investment is difficult to deliver.
It could be £2m just to get a refusal.
Such is the cost of our planning process.
Let's hope this application is dealt with objectively, it is probably the best chance the Western Heights has of being bought back into beneficial economic use whilst protecting the heritage & environment.
Watty
#14 I can only agree. if you live near an airport, suck it up! Ditto us in the town. No point us moaning (although some do, repeatedly) about new builds near our house up towards Connaught when we knowingly moved into a town!
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
I must say that, as a whole, I like the plans and, judging from meetings and feedback, CGI do seem determined to listen to local concerns. The possibility of housing around St Martin's Battery could certainly change when they actually survey the area as the provisional plans places them on a very steep gradient. Obviously there will need to be long negotiations on access as neither Bowling Green Terrace or Western Heights roundabout can cope with the extra traffic without major changes.
A promising development for Dover that does offer the potential of real jobs (unlike the DTIZ plans which will just shuffle them from one place to another).
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
overall they look impressive, the cost if things do go ahead will be beyond my comprehension.
chris mentions housing adjacent to st martins battery which i cannot see on the plan, then again i do not read them that well.
if the housing was close to knights terrace or on the disused playing field i don't see a problem.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Bump...
Don't forget the exhibitions start tomorrow - it is a major project for Dover and we ALL need to ensure that it is done right
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Quite saddened at the low level of responses on this thread - it is a very major development of both the Farthingloe site and the Western Heights to a scale that hasn't taken place for a very long time
Perhaps as it is is 'out of the way' and 'Not In My Back Yard' then people aren't that interested...
Been nice knowing you :)