I note that DDC members were having a meeting last night (22/7) to discuss proposed retail development at White Cliffs Business Park (as recommended by Tim Flisher the DDC case officer) after three years vacillation. Two retail buildings with seven units to include restaurant.
Anyone know how it went?
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
I mentioned this on the Vic vs the Planning Dept thread by so far no comment
Been nice knowing you :)
'Omerta' Now there's a good Dovorian word.
The other lovely one is that they can't say anything for 'commercial reasons'.
Still as Barry said on another thread we should all be careful about what we say!
Next thing you know there's a square and a pair of compasses attached to a brick through your front window.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I hope it goes ahead and if it does it will be good,but lets just wait and see,how many times have we been down this road and end up with nothing.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
I'm on the Planning Committee, but couldn't go Thursday evening due to the fact that I had an accident in the morning and ripped the cornea in my left eye, in two places.
As I'm sure you can imagine, it was/is, very painful, but the Buckland Babes sorted it for me and I can now see out of my good eye.
I'm going back to the hospital this morning, so hopefully they'll tell me it'll be O.K.
Back to the Planning - I don't know what they decided, but the officers' recommendation was to approve it.
This would not have been an easy decision I'm sure. To me it was imperative to consult local businessses for their view - it will be their business that's affected, either in a positiove way, or more likely, a negative way.
Perhaps the Chamber of Commerce's DBS Manager Spencer went round to the shops/businesses to ask their opinion - if he did, he didn't go into any of the businesses and talk to the owners that I've spoken to.
From a consumer point of view I guess it would be good - more choice etc. and keep spend in the local area, but the income from shopping there would not stay local, but to those large corporations that will have businesses there.
If they can keep it to bulky items, its impact on town businesses may be lessened, but generally, people don't take bulky items home with them, they have them delivered.
The Town and the businesses here need real support and this would have been a good way of showing that support - finding out their concerns.
Roger
I hope your eye feels better soon, Roger.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,833
Roger......
That sounds very painful, I hope all goes well at the hospital.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Thank you Bern and Jan
Yes it was very painful, but easier today.
Hope my sight is not impaired long term - as it was the top of the cornea, it should be O.K.
Thanks again.
Roger
With DDC approving more 'out of town' retail can we assume there is a plan afoot to return the soon to be completely dead town centre into a residential area? Or is the plan to have more and more empty shops for our cruise visitors to 'enjoy'?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
totally against any more retail development at whitfield.
sorry to hear about your eye roger.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
I am against this at Whitfield too, plenty of suitable sites in Town
Been nice knowing you :)
Paul Aka Scotchie,Howard Mcsweeney,
Perhaps you upright citizens of Dover could find the time to tell the rest of us just what exactly your objections to development at Whitfield are??
It is all very well you telling us that there are plenty of sites in town, well excuse me but is'nt Whitfield part of the town. Last time I looked it would appear that I pay my council tax to "DOVER" not to Whitfield so why should we be denied development.
I think what you are trying to say (correct me if I am wrong,as I am sure you will) that No one has the wit to attract investment into the town centre so therefore no one else can have investment although the area (WHitfield) would appear highly attractive to investors. This would appear to be a case of I cant have it so consequently no one else can . "YAH, BOO"
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
not one of your best posts jimmy, you know very well why town centres are dying all over our sceptic isle.
Howard,
There you go again, dodging the question. I ask you once again "Just what exactly are your objections to development at Whitfield"
Seeing that you are a stalwart of the town and like to put your opinions about well lets have an honest answer to a very simple question. I know very well why town centres are dying out thank you very much. I do not need further lectures from some one who by their own admission has been a part of Dovers history and yet some how have been unable to come up with any solutions.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Me, a Dover citizen ? I am an outsider from Deal that does a lot for the town of Dover and don't want to see it go downhill any futher !!! I don't see the need for Dover to have the usual clone business park, with the same clone shops, which you can see anywhere. 'You' need reasons for people to stay in town.... I still say let everything from the old Sainsbury upward revert back to housing, concentrate the town, get something sympathetically built St James's (be it shopping/leisure). You don't really need to go to Whitfield to get a Currys/Carpet Shop/Staples/Halford that you can go up the road to buy.....
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Westwood Cross and all the other retail parks there have killed Margate etc. but Macarthur Glen did not destroy Ashford.
I wouldn't want to support anything that destroyed Dover as a Town Centre; as I said earlier, I do think it was very important that the Town businesses were consulted and that was an exercise that Spencer could have been asked to do - it would also of course been a good opportunity to introduce himself to the businesses.
This retail park is supposed to be a "bulky items" only type of park.
Roger
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Slightly different in Ashford Roger, you can quite easily stroll from the town centre to the Outlet - you wouldn't get people walking from Dover to Whitfield
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
I didn't realise they were that close to each other Paul.
Roger
Perhaps Jimmy has a point about Whitfield. It makes perfect sense to give them new retail units but also build 10,000 new homes to make sure the trade is there too.
Sarcastic Jimmy? Of course. What you so passionately support will bring more traffic to the Whitfield Hill, directly affecting my quality of life. So, I am against any further development, in a retail sense, of the nice pretty (?) village of Whitfield.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
hears somthing novel have an out of town shopping center in the town center,st.james would be perfect.
