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That's the main point of most of Dover's ills Howard - they wouldn't cost the Earth.
I appreciate it's like an echo and it has all been said before, but all those ideas above, were already on my list of things to do, before I was dismissed by the Chamber of Commerce.
There is a rule that allows Councils/LPAs to force owners of dilapidated buildings to put them right - it's called Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
I had written and discussed, probably about two years ago with senior planners at DDC, the need to invoke this on a short list of buildings in central Dover; I made that short list and presented it to the Council officers, but because they have to have enough money to see the whole process through and they don't have that money, they wouldn't even start it.
There is evidence to show that 90% of those owners who are written to, sort out their building(s) on that first letter, but there was still great resistence and refusal to start.
I had written to the owners of the Best Kebab Shop when I was the Business Support Manager, but was dismissed before I got a reply.
I believe the three on my short list were the Best Kebab on the corner of Market Square and Cannon Street, Party Planners shop just up from there and the old Labour Exchange at 10 King Street.
There were many others of course that need work carrying out on them - new windows, redecorating etc. but I felt those were in greatest need.
Nothing has changed.
If the three main (but not the only) stakeholders put £10,000 in each, it would pay the salary and related costs and still have money left over to allow many things to be done.
Membership would follow after a while and that money would go towards even greater improvements and eventually reduce the finacial cost to those stakeholders - unless they were happy to budget for it each year then better and better things would be done.
Is anyone listening ? No, is the answer.
Roger