The Front Page. - Copy 232 (Parking Stealth Tax. Fundraiser Stroke Assoc. Western Heights Pic)
8 February 2012
The Conservative administration of Dover District Council has agreed to make parking your car in Dover, Deal and Sandwich at least 10% more expensive in most car parks from April onwards. The extra charge will be hidden by slashing some 10% off the time you can park for.
Cllr Gordon Cowan, Labour Leader of the Opposition on Dover District Council, says: “In these difficult times it is sad to see the Conservative-run District Council making it more expensive to park in our town centres. And it is
particularly pathetic to use stealth to hide the rises. In most car parks the amount of time you pay for goes down by 10%. This might only be a few minutes if you are paying the minimum in, say, the Maison Dieu car park in Dover but the longer you need to park the less time you get. And if you want to park for more than four hours, to go shopping, the price will go up by over 10%. This is a hidden price hike”
Labour’s Shadow Cabinet member for Finance, Mike Eddy pictured says: “These charges will hit businesses hard by reducing the amount of time shoppers and visitors can spend in town. This Conservative stealth tax will also hit tourism as coaches will also have less time in town. And it will hit residents and business who buy parking permits.
Annual off-street permits are going up by £30 (from £340 to £370) and an annual business permit by £25, a 20% increase (from £125 to £150). In some resident parking zones annual charges for on-street parking permits will also be going up (from £35 to £50).”
See also the thread in our Forum..http://www.doverforum.com/letters/viewtopic.php?id=9496
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A MUM is taking on the London Marathon to raise money for charity after her nan had a stroke.
Claire Jones, 38, from Dover, hopes to raise £2,000 to help The Stroke Association carry on its work in supporting stroke survivors.
Her grandmother Lynne Riley had a stroke caused by a blood-clot in 2010 when she was 87. The stroke meant she is paralyzed down her left hand side.
Claire said: “When we found out we all feared the worst. It was tragic to see her lying there in hospital so helpless when she had previously been so independent. The first weeks and months were really hard for all of us.
We had no idea what we could do to help, or what treatment and support she and we could expect. The Stroke Association was the first place I went to and I downloaded loads of really useful information which helped us to feel more informed and involved in her care, and make a difference. Without them we would have been lost.”
Claire, who is a member of the Dover Road Runners running club, is an experienced marathon runner having completed marathons in 2009 and 2011.
She said: “When this happened I was determined to do what I can to help other stroke survivors in recognition of my grandmother.. She is a tough lady and fortunately she is still with us today. She has been left severely disabled and is in a nursing home in Guildford, but she has regained some of her old self and continues to get stronger. The hardest thing for her is that she can no longer play the piano. She used to be a composer and concert pianist.”
The stroke was discovered by another family member who recognised the symptoms from the FAST campaign.
Claire added: “My aunt remembered the FAST test and called an ambulance, who verified a stroke was likely. Luckily she was within a couple of miles of the stroke centre at the Royal Surrey Hospital, and received the clot busting drugs in A&E within three hours. If this had not happened who knows whether she would still be with us.”
http://www.doverforum.com/letters/viewtopic.php?id=9323
You can recognise a stroke using the FAST test....
FACIAL weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
ARM weakness: Can the person raise both arms?
SPEECH problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
TIME to call 999.
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We have several new stories just in and while we regroup and go through those, please enjoy this picture of the sun going down behind a crisp frozen Western Heights last night (tuesday). For just a few minutes there was a dramatic sky above the cold cold landscape. We have several threads running on the Siberian Blast in our super-busy forum section with some of the best pictures anywhere. Dont miss those or the chatter on how tricky the conditions are around the various areas. Some roads are clear, some are still frozen over. The icy weather is set to continue today with temperatures hardly getting above freezing all day.. so try and stay warm. PB.
Link direct to our Forum http://www.doverforum.com/letters/viewforum.php
Previous features can now be found in All Recent Features...see menu left.
Tories introduce a 10% Stealth Tax on Drivers and Shoppers...Say Labour.
The Conservative administration of Dover District Council has agreed to make parking your car in Dover, Deal and Sandwich at least 10% more expensive in most car parks from April onwards. The extra charge will be hidden by slashing some 10% off the time you can park for.
Cllr Gordon Cowan, Labour Leader of the Opposition on Dover District Council, says: “In these difficult times it is sad to see the Conservative-run District Council making it more expensive to park in our town centres. And it is
particularly pathetic to use stealth to hide the rises. In most car parks the amount of time you pay for goes down by 10%. This might only be a few minutes if you are paying the minimum in, say, the Maison Dieu car park in Dover but the longer you need to park the less time you get. And if you want to park for more than four hours, to go shopping, the price will go up by over 10%. This is a hidden price hike”Labour’s Shadow Cabinet member for Finance, Mike Eddy pictured says: “These charges will hit businesses hard by reducing the amount of time shoppers and visitors can spend in town. This Conservative stealth tax will also hit tourism as coaches will also have less time in town. And it will hit residents and business who buy parking permits.
Annual off-street permits are going up by £30 (from £340 to £370) and an annual business permit by £25, a 20% increase (from £125 to £150). In some resident parking zones annual charges for on-street parking permits will also be going up (from £35 to £50).”
See also the thread in our Forum..http://www.doverforum.com/letters/viewtopic.php?id=9496
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Claire hits the starting block for The Stroke Association.
___________________________
A MUM is taking on the London Marathon to raise money for charity after her nan had a stroke.
Claire Jones, 38, from Dover, hopes to raise £2,000 to help The Stroke Association carry on its work in supporting stroke survivors.
Her grandmother Lynne Riley had a stroke caused by a blood-clot in 2010 when she was 87. The stroke meant she is paralyzed down her left hand side.
Claire said: “When we found out we all feared the worst. It was tragic to see her lying there in hospital so helpless when she had previously been so independent. The first weeks and months were really hard for all of us.
We had no idea what we could do to help, or what treatment and support she and we could expect. The Stroke Association was the first place I went to and I downloaded loads of really useful information which helped us to feel more informed and involved in her care, and make a difference. Without them we would have been lost.”
Claire, who is a member of the Dover Road Runners running club, is an experienced marathon runner having completed marathons in 2009 and 2011.
She said: “When this happened I was determined to do what I can to help other stroke survivors in recognition of my grandmother.. She is a tough lady and fortunately she is still with us today. She has been left severely disabled and is in a nursing home in Guildford, but she has regained some of her old self and continues to get stronger. The hardest thing for her is that she can no longer play the piano. She used to be a composer and concert pianist.”
The stroke was discovered by another family member who recognised the symptoms from the FAST campaign.
Claire added: “My aunt remembered the FAST test and called an ambulance, who verified a stroke was likely. Luckily she was within a couple of miles of the stroke centre at the Royal Surrey Hospital, and received the clot busting drugs in A&E within three hours. If this had not happened who knows whether she would still be with us.”
Note:
Claire is also organising a race night on Saturday 11 February at the Triangles Community Centre, Poulton Close, Dover at 7.30pm and will be joined by the Mayor of Dover. For more information or to buy tickets visit www.clairejjones.co.uk or to sponsor visit www.justgiving.com/Claire-J-Jones. More on this night in our FORUM..click link below...http://www.doverforum.com/letters/viewtopic.php?id=9323
You can recognise a stroke using the FAST test....
FACIAL weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
ARM weakness: Can the person raise both arms?
SPEECH problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
TIME to call 999.
* *
Western Heights
We have several new stories just in and while we regroup and go through those, please enjoy this picture of the sun going down behind a crisp frozen Western Heights last night (tuesday). For just a few minutes there was a dramatic sky above the cold cold landscape. We have several threads running on the Siberian Blast in our super-busy forum section with some of the best pictures anywhere. Dont miss those or the chatter on how tricky the conditions are around the various areas. Some roads are clear, some are still frozen over. The icy weather is set to continue today with temperatures hardly getting above freezing all day.. so try and stay warm. PB.
Link direct to our Forum http://www.doverforum.com/letters/viewforum.php
If you want to comment on any of our stories please do in our FORUM see links. Membership required.
Previous features can now be found in All Recent Features...see menu left.