Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#1
Ok lets have a new thread for this....
"So.... if there was a fresh new DCC and the past is the past, what would you want them to do and how would you fund it? What will you do to get the town to thrive and how do you get people to stop passing through the town on the way in and out the country?"
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
#2
I would start small and do some cosmetic work such as invest in some bunting and flowers for the town for the the summer. I would fly flags of the EU nations from the lamp posts along Townwall Street. Simple acts like that will attract attention and may encourage visitors to stop. I would create a Tourism Officer post (Roger?) and use this to develop a visitor package that would prompt passers through to stop and spend some time and money in the town.
That's a start. As will all political promises I can't specify where the money will come from because I don't yet have access to that information but I would start by looking at the £80,000 pledged for the clifftop work because I think that may be National Trust land and something that they should be funding.
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
#3
Oh, I forgot. I would get sponsorship for the Christmas Lights too!!
#4
hhmm, got me thinking here, well the shops is a deffo place to start i think we have to many supermarkets sadly , not enough choice like Maidstone or Canterbury. More town events to bring people closer to feel proud of Dover ive lately sad goodbye to two very good friends who have moved away and there reasons are always the same Dover doesnt offer enough , the town is beautiful but does have its down points in posts ive raised one than once.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#5
nothing much the district council can do about the shops, the populations of maidstone and canterbury are far greater than dover so the diversity will match that.
i must admit i have never worked out why we have so many supermarkets they all seem to be doing o.k. other than the one in stembrook.
things like floral arrangements, public seating, litter bins, toilets etc are very important, not necessarily a district council thing but i have no confidence that any of those will ever be dealt with, just used as political footballs between the two councils.
#6
The shop owners that own the shops and let them sit empty should be made to clean them up. while people from LRCF keep going out and doing all this hard work on the empty shops making them look good the owners are laughing. Lower the rates like other councils have done to get more people to come to the town with different outlets. Stop all this drinking in public places it puts people off from going into the park or town to shop the locals are used to it but still complain but local police don't act.That Big screen is an i sore. clean up Dover Start the Regeneration and we will see Dover become great again. It would be nice to see a Noddy train running around the town taking visitors from the sea front to the castle and all main places in dover.Two many pubs in town center with people drinking at 9am every day would not allow pubs to serve till 12 am. Get some sand imported onto our beach then we would have a good place for families with small children to come and spend the day like Margate maybe a couple of trampolines on the beach with small rides for the kids and a good cafe with reasonable priced food. the list is endless and yes I know you are all going to say without the money you cant do it but cant we try.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#7
alan
rates for the shops are set by central government nothing to do with any of our many councils.
fully agree with you about property owners being forced to tidy up their premises, it can be done but there is not the will to do this.
roger explored every avenue and applied what pressure he could but with no end result.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#8
to be honest i havent ascooby doo what to do.but here is an idea for you to chew on.
bulldoze the whole town from the sea front to hollis moters then rebuild the whole town again,with drains that drain the standing water ,
make all paths and roads leval,the utiaty companys to lay there sewers,water,gas and electric stuf down BEFORE the road surfaces down..
build new and better shops including st jame's area then promote the damm town from the highest hill.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
#9
Right oh Brian, what about all us property owners who live in the area you describe? what about all the tenants? seriously turn the town in its entirety into a building site and you might as well close it down for ever
"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
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#10
ross,thats what it feels like now.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#11
brian
you're worse than mark, he only wanted to bulldoze the trees, bushes, flower beds and pavilion in pencester gardens.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
#12
Brian the most important part of the question was 'how would you fund it?'
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#13
peter,the useall way by goverment funding,just ask our nieburing towns for clues.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
#14
Paul asked, among other things, how to stop people passing through the town on the way in and out of the country.
Mark's post 2 seems to suggest how to get people to stop while passing through, so it seems a contradiction to Paul's request. Two opposite views.
There are various ways to release port-traffic pressure passing through the town, one being a tunnel under Townwall St. and possibly even Snargate St.
Mark's idea to get the port traffic to stop over in Dover does not take into account where the traffic is supposed to park. Are there car parks, Mark, in your envisaged plans to get the port traffic to stop in Dover, and where would these car parks be?
Mark, would your plan forbid flying the Swiss flag along Townwall St., as Switzerland is not in the EU?
If I were to enter DDC as Paul suggests, and make plans, I'd ask the people if they want the traffic of a new Whitfield town passing every day through Barton Road, down Frith Road, along Maison Dieu and on into Pencester car park.
If the peole said yes, I'd advise for the issuing of gas-masks, all sizes, for adults, children and babies, and advise that the schools all be move to green areas away from the traffic (no lees than 5 schools in the Barton Rd. area.)
I'd ask PaulB to gather information from the Gateway residents if they want new car parks for the passing port traffic to stop.
I'd ask myself why they should stop in Dover to do their weekly shop rather than in their own place of destination.
Then I'd apply common sense and conclude that Dover is a small town with limited roads, which are full of traffic and people, and suggest that we don't need thousands of passers-by stopping over every day to do their shopping here.
There are enough B/Bs and hotels in Dover that each advertise their business, and the free market advertising of visiting Dover is fully capable of attracting or not attracting visitors, without external interference from DDC.
DDC should concentrate on matters concerning pollution from passing traffic.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#15
ross,as a side,the main roads are now classed as building sights.god only knows what will happen when they close york street for 9 days.
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
#16
Don`t start with a fresh DDC.Start with a fresh new East Kent Council.Economy of Scale money.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
#17
As for what I would do:
Support the Peoples Port & hope it then won the right to purchase the port
Work with them to use the funding they have promised to make small improvements in the local area.
Force the officers to really enact policy rather than make/set it or they can bugger off and we replace them
Use the existing legislative framework to encourage landlords/owners to maintain their property
Use the courts etc to protect the conservation areas in town
Revamp the paving in the town using coloured pavers to define different areas etc
Tidy up the street scene, including flowers, flags etc and adequate wardens to control the day drinkers and other dubious characters
Press ahead with a "Lanes"/"Shambles" style development of St James district (subject to adequate funding from developers)
Refuse planning consent for any more house conversions to flats
Use council officers to support local community forums to broaden their reach and activities to create an interested, engaged local community
That will do for starters
"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 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#18
"Don`t start with a fresh DDC.Start with a fresh new East Kent Council.Economy of Scale money."
What are the sums, how much will it save?
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
#19
Ross- Amen to all of that.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#20
I've not posted much lately, but your thread Paul, has prompted me to do so again.
I have a list of around 18 or so projects and initiatives that I believe would make a significant difference to the Town Centre - but no one in authority agrees, so maybe I am totally out of touch with what actually needs doing (I still think I am right, but that is irrelevant).
I have shown these initiatives to the Channel Chamber of Commerce, the Town Council and others.
Dover needs to be made more welcoming, many buildings need refurbishing; many other basic things to encourage local people to come back into Town and not go to other Towns such as Canterbury, Ashford and Westwood Cross to spend their money.
Dover also needs to be a real destination from a tourism point of view.
I could go on and have done so in the past, but no one is listening.
As I have said before, those in authority don't care (or know what to do) and those who do care, don't have the authority.
Back to sleep.
Roger
