PatrickS
- Location: Marine Parade, Dover
- Registered: 19 Sep 2015
- Posts: 448
On all screens today - 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'
Spot the 'Next' and 'Marks'
You can 'Lodge' here (eventually)
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Unless Patrick was paragliding one of those photos was taken from Drop Redoubt Field - Military Hill end.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,832
So you burn the calories in the gym and put them on again in Costa or any of the other numerous food outlets that have been mentioned.
On a serious note I wonder if there will be a lift for any potential disabled users.
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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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Reginald Barrington
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,236
I think they are legal obliged nowadays Jan.
Arte et Marte
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,832
I know there should be access to a building but was not sure about to an upstairs business. The regulations are not exactly clear but any new build business would be mad not to provide easy access.
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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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Reginald Barrington- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,236
As you say it doesn't make it very clear but I think it was the 2005 disability discrimination act that legislated over New build and planning applications, I know when I was teaching at a special needs school about 10/11yrs ago we suddenly had to provide signage in Braille! Considering we never accepted students with sight problems it was irrelevant we had to comply and at huge expense to the charity and never to be used. Like all of these ideas to do the right thing it is often detrimental and damaging while providing minimal benefit.
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Arte et Marte
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,832
It has always annoyed me that the Age Concern shop is so awkward to get into, that step is so high I now have trouble.
When I was a volunteer we used to have to lift anyone in a wheelchair in (if the men were there) or go outside to serve them.
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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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PatrickS- Location: Marine Parade, Dover
- Registered: 19 Sep 2015
- Posts: 448
St James development on a rather dreary Thursday morning (2 February 2017).
DDS's 'rock cruncher' departed this week having finished work on the old electricity sub-station.
New portacabins arrived on site 23 January (photo 3) with most of Gallagher's ones taken away.
Still no word on who the 'new' contractors are.
Travelodge site
'molehills' at piling positions and first concrete footings towards the 'NEXT' phase alongside the former BP petrol station
more regular steel arrivals from Northern Ireland. Framework on a single storey now extends behind the St. James street buildings (centre right)
site panorama
howard mcsweeney1, Guest 1914, Jan Higgins and
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Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,495
PatrickS- Location: Marine Parade, Dover
- Registered: 19 Sep 2015
- Posts: 448
"Would you be surprised to learn that there may be a further delay? "
No.
But those in the Whitfield ivory tower might as they have always proclaimed all was progressing "on time". Suppose it could be said to be "on time" to miss its target date for opening.
This project, whether it be considered of the right or wrong type for a town centre, is still much needed as a redevelopment of the whole St. James area of Dover. What was there before was either derelict or well past its sell by date.
However this far into a project that started in 2002 (some would argue convincingly even earlier) and to have no Phase 2 contractor to complete the work is simply unbelievable. Wonder what L&G think of that.
Now as DDC appear to be the mouthpiece for the Developers perhaps they should enlighten all us Dovorians as to what is going on. I assume they still have ownership of the land.
Wonder also where this leaves M&S as it is muted they will leave their Biggin Street site by August or October this year when their lease is up.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,832
Nothing about this project surprises me any more but it certainly has annoyed me at times.
As far as the public are concerned the whole thing has been run on rumours and gossip, officially we have been told very little and yet again the latest news is speculation not fact.
Why does everything have to be such a secret?
Why can we not be told what is happening and when the first occupants are likely to move in?
This time I am annoyed as I suspect a lot of others are about this long running saga, the new stores at Whitfield seemed to progress at speed without all these problems why not on this site.
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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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Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,023
Red tape Jan.Local government are bound so tightly by red tape they are answerable to jo public,whereas private business apart from planning rules just get on with it.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,023
I do think DDC should give an update as was promised at their scrutiny meeting.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,023
I do think DDC should give an update as was promised at their scrutiny meeting.
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Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,832
Sorry Sue but "red tape" is simply an excuse used when someone does not want or can't be bothered to explain.
It is about time that councillors and officials realised we tax payers are in effect their employers and have a right to know what is going on. Most of us are not idiots and realise when there is a need for secrecy and when we have a right to know what is going on.
Trump getting elected just shows what happens when the public get fed up being ignored by the establishment.
Paul M, Guest 1849, Guest 1831 and
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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 1849- Registered: 12 Sep 2016
- Posts: 440
Jan Higgins wrote:Sorry Sue but "red tape" is simply an excuse used when someone does not want or can't be bothered to explain.
It is about time that councillors and officials realised we tax payers are in effect their employers and have a right to know what is going on. Most of us are not idiots and realise when there is a need for secrecy and when we have a right to know what is going on.
Trump getting elected just shows what happens when the public get fed up being ignored by the establishment.
So true Jan, the leader of the council contributes to this forum, his silence says it all.
3 years ago he assured us he had total confidence in Bond City and no Plan B, that is looking more irresponsible by the day.
PatrickS- Location: Marine Parade, Dover
- Registered: 19 Sep 2015
- Posts: 448
Not just the Leader of the Council, but if memory serves me correct, the head of Inward Investment was also at that meeting. Let's hear from them!
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Guest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
It's gone on for so many years that people just seem to have become uninterested in the failings of DTIZ but as I have said before the buck stops with Mr Watkins and he should resign.
Believe it or not there are many companies that would like to invest in the district but the complete ineptitude at DDC prevents them even getting past the first hurdle.
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Jack of Hearts
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,700
Does it?
Is this a failing of political leadership (Mr Watkins) or organisational leadership (Mr Aziz)?
Surely the politicians provide the vision and outline the solution and the officers do the delivery, in which case the blame lies with Messers Aziz, Randall, Walton & Davis; both for this ongoing fiasco as well as the poor track record on inward investment.
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"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
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