Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
#1
In the Express today there is an article where a letter was written 25 years ago expressing frustration at the lack of progress in the town, it could have been written today or 25 years previously.
There are several groups, of which I belong, doing their best to help regenerate Dover but the apathy and disenchantment is difficult to overcome. Threads on here (those that aren't political squabbling) are about people found in toilets, young men being stabbed, travellers camping in car parks etc is this really what we deserve?
So come on, we all have a vested interest, what needs to be done to turn things around?
Obviously I have my own thoughts but I'm interested to hear other thoughts.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#2
serious discussion david?
your in an optimistic mood today, to be truthful i don't know the answer.
apathy is just one part but over enthusiasm is another equally damaging thing, i see so often a group of one type or another being formed and slowly people drop away, in many cases because they take on too much. we all need to take a cool approach when volunteers are called for and decide what time we have to devote to each plan.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#3
Well, if I may.
-The fault must lie with Local and Regional Government, (for the same reasons that malaise on the national scale lies with National Government), because this is the one area where change is an option - on a regular and regulated basis, and where such change can be effected by the population themselves.
Dover is by no means a rural backwater in the way other smallish towns elsewhere in England are;off the beaten track. (Except that certain alterations to the transport structure have tended to make it so.)
To a degree Dover is a 'Bates Motel', in that during the times that it has grown and prospered Dover was very much identifiable with the port, but now it is a place of interest off to the side of the main thoroughfare.
-The general circumstances, whether laid down by Law or by Political colour, that could encourage confidence; brighten the fabric, make use of retail space and give the Town an air of 'bounce', and bring much needed manufacturing and service industry are shared with the Country as a whole and require fundamental readjustment. Basically, the apparent fact that it is cost-effective to leave property (domestic and retail) empty rather than busy and well maintained has to be addressed.
Nationally, our current Plan-A is so far removed from any Plan-D(over), and that this leaves us all listening to the Party-Political drivel of "Things will improve just as soon as things improve!", but the notion that we do not have the money is only half the problem, we also lack the vision and the drive. The latter 'half' of the problem is what all should insist be addressed by those seeking preferment in the imminent local elections.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
#4
Yes Howard, an hour on and we finally get a response albeit a negative one.
If it was about a cobbled together elite austerity cut there'd be 50 replies.
Its become perfectly obvious to me that local authorities are utterly inept and the local electorate is so apathetic the authorities carry on as normal.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#5
just walked through the door david, your thread was the first to catch my eye.
not sure how my post was negative.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#6
I know that I have received, by hand and through the post, election bumf, but there has been no mention here of such 'informationals', and I notice that 'information' of a Party Political nature has dried-up on the forum - can it be that the local MPs are less 'welcoming' of announcements?
What are the Party-Political selling points in the region? Why so shy?
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#7
David........ We all moan about the town at times but it is not nearly as bad as you and some others like to go on about. The difference between you and the majority of the others is that at least you try to improve things, the market is a good example.
Tom........The postman delivered my first election drivel this morning, no real information just the usual we are best the others are rubbish. What a waste of money but I suppose it helps keep a local printer in business.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#8
david,lets pick bones.
1,apathy was invented in dover,so born a bred here in dover.
2,regeneration,has been spoken about since 1945.may 1945 that is.
3,sucsessive councils have came up with grand plans to do so.
4,demolition,arcology has been done and a few test bores allso.
5,legal side of things are dragging on,so no progress on eyesores.
if i missed any thing please let me know at apathy.com.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
#9
David, unless one lives in cloud cucu land, no regeneration can be achieved without a financial income.
One can of-course volunteer to do everything, which would be fine if housing and shopping were free and no bills were to be paid.
That's about the long and the short of it.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#10
going a bit off topic but plenty of people working full time still put in community/voluntary work to help improve the town and district alex.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
#11
Fully agree and that's fine with me, Howard.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#12
I'm not apathetic towards Dover, but I have written papers on what should be done and always been shot down, so now I have got rid of the brick dust and am taking a back seat; there's only so many times you're willing to be put down and I've had more put-downs than I care to remember.
Roger
Guest 688- Registered: 16 Jul 2009
- Posts: 268
#13
Vision, application and a thick skin
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#14
I had them all John.
Roger
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
#15
Plenty of people, including volunteers, are helping to promote and improve Dover.
We have all got to be positive and think of the plusses, not the minuses.
---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Guest 1694- Registered: 24 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,087
#16
I'd add funds to John's list.
Talking the Town down and allowing apathy to overcome are not options that we have if we want to not only survive but begin to thrive.
Waiting on our local authorities to make a start is not an option either really, LA projects seem to have to wait for something else to fall into place before proceeding and the 'something else' becomes something else possibly ad infinitum.
Dover needs improvements to be led by a dedicated, funded and professional team who are receptive to local concerns and to work with Local Authorities but not be held up by them.
I note that whatever the project and no matter how much good it looks like delivering, there will be detractors; this is where the thick skin comes in. Also to be noted is that a good idea is a good idea, no matter from whom it emanates, but that not everyone who thinks that they have a good idea actually has one.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#17
this is where "big local" come in - not a great deal of money to hand but can help kick start small scale "good ideas".
failing that the town council seems awash with money after their latest precept.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
#18
Not sure what could be added to Dover:
We have a brand new cycle path along the Dour, but not all too many people can afford a bicycle.
We have new pavements, but most people can't afford a pair of shoes to walk them.
Restaurants spring up, and cafes, and most people stare through the window dreaming a bite in that sandwich on display.
You turn up at Market Square to watch free TV only to find that nothing is on other than nonsense
You dream an outing by Stagecoach only to find you haven't got the money for a ticket.
But somehow we'll get there one day! Just keep banging on:
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#19
being so happy is what keeps you going alex.
Guest 664- Registered: 23 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,039
#20
Just seen this thread and too late at night to write much, but here is one thought: Dovorians could make more effort to shop in Dover.
Even little things help - example: today I was about to order a rucksack from Amazon and I thought hang on - De Bradelei Wharf. And I picked up a perfectly good one there.
Hundreds of thousands of little decisions like that per year by tens of thousands of people would be a big step in the right direction.