ray hutstone- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
There will be a public meeting on Tuesday March 5th in the tea room at Little Farthingloe at 5.30pm.
I understand that Rob Prince will be there from China Gateway as well as representatives from CPRE. Please attend if you're interested, whatever your views.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
ray hutstone wrote:
I understand that Rob Prince will be there from China Gateway as well as representatives from CPRE. Please attend if you're interested, whatever your views.
There was me thinking he had abdicated and his replacement from the Khmer Rouge was heading the team.
ray hutstone- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
Indeed, Howard. I am as bemused as you. Unless things have changed in the last few days, the latest documents filed at Companies House indicate that he resigned his directorship some time ago. And yes - there is a new man at the helm whose place of residence is listed as Cambodia.
Rob's role is one I hope to clarify next Tuesday. If this company is as altruistic about the residents of Dover as its PR would have us believe, then I'm sure they will respond in a kindly way to such questions.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
I suspect he is being brought in as a paid consultant Ray, he has been involved since the beginning and I believe was at the last presentation. He will know what questions to expect and how to field them.
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Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,860
Rather strange the developer look a bit cocky
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Keith Sansum1 wrote:Rather strange the developer look a bit cocky
That is what bothers me Keith, on the face of it there is no chance of the plans being passed but umpteen staff hours have been spent on preparing the new application, almost as if CGI have been given the nod. The presentation is a bit of a red herring, similar to the one in Coombe Valley Road where the developer made great play of consulting the residents "although they didn't have to".
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
ok less chat more action. either a yes or no. if yes lets build, if no let them bugger off.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,860
Or the company has got it badly wrong
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ray hutstone- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
I received a rather flustered phone call this morning from my contact at CPRE. Apparently tomorrow's meeting is not a public one! Don't ask me for explanations because I don't have any. Sorry if I've misled anyone. If you were intending to go or, indeed, know of anyone who was intending to go then please pass the word around.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Strange sort of meeting if no public are invited, will they have anyone from DDC or just chat amongst themselves?
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,860
Something nit right herevl
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Guest 3139- Registered: 4 Mar 2019
- Posts: 1
Hello all, so nice to see the same people as before discussing the development since I was involved all that time ago. Just thought that I would confirm that the meeting tomorrow does indeed have public invited, quite a few actually from the Western Heights and Maxton areas. Unfortunately due to the venue, numbers have had to be capped. This is a CPRE led meeting who have asked CGI to present the new plans and lead discussions with residents that were involved 5-6 years ago and also some residents that have been talking to CPRE recently. There will be further larger public meetings that stem from this one and I am sure you can all be involved in those. Edit * DDC representation will also be there
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
That will get up Charlie's nose, he sees the CPRE as an unelected quango trying to hold Dover back while most of us see them as vital guardians of our environment although developers would see that differently.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
unavailable howard. so cant read it.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Tried to copy and paste it Brian but it won't let me, just go on the site and tap in 12/00440.
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ray hutstone- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
The chap Howard is referring to was indeed at the meeting on Tuesday night and tore the application apart in a very articulate and measured fashion. Whilst he mainly approached the subject with his architectural knowledge as a basis, he was scathing about the economic justifications and other aspects of the CGI case which comprised the sweeteners which were so unquestioningly accepted by councillors in the earlier application.
As Howard has said, the objection is on public display via the planning portal. There just may be an error in the link above.
The meeting was very interesting. Both Rob Prince from CGI and David Foley from the Dover Chamber of Commerce appeared (to me at least) to have been left squirming on several occasions by their reluctance to answer questions and their rather patronising attitude when dealing with very legitimate public concerns.
If you were not convinced that this application is about speculators desperate attempts to force through a totally inappropriate development, then I suspect you would have been afterwards.
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ray hutstone- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
A very comprehensive response from KCC's archaeological officer has now been posted on the planning portal. It adds a lot more weight to the case made at the recent meeting.
I hope that it will be given the consideration it deserves.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
English Heritage Trust have now posted their objections and have touched on the subject of S106 money pointing out that the amount is the same offered 7 years ago without taking into account building cost rises. I don't think £5 million would be enough for a museum/heritage centre and as regards a trust who would be the trustees?
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ray hutstone- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
Highways England now recommend either postponement of decision pending clarification of various points or rejection. Given the obvious concerns, I wonder how the planning officers will now react and whether their decision will be free of political pressure.