The post you are reporting:
Courtesy of Pat Sherratt - Chair of Planning committee Dover Society.
The Dover Society has raised concern re the failure to replace the coping stones on the roundabout also the walls along York street.
In January, we sought support from the then local elected KCC members without any response. The DDC portfolio member for transport (Cllr Collor) was also contacted and confirmed the problem was being looked at but was a KCC issue.Having been out of action due to a prolonged illness I have now, for the Society, taken up the matter again.
Below are the contents of e-mail to the two recently elected KCC Councillors, Cllr Collor and Cllr Beresford, copies being sent to the Leader of KCC (Paul Carter) and our MP (Charlie Elphicke)
Good morning Nigel
I sent to you on the 31st Jan that at the time you acknowledged and were aware of the situation.
We are still awaiting the repairs to the roundabout and coping stones in York Street.
Now that you and Cllr Beresford are our KCC Councillors could I respectfully ask that this be pressed at County Hall. I am sure if this was Tunbridge Wells or Maidstone the repairs would have been made, but as always KCC policy is to look after West Kent and ignore East Kent.
At one-time DDC was using the strap line for Dover as “Create a World Class Town”. This has not been used for some time and does this reflect the DDC policy of accepting many eyesores in Dover???
I am also copying the Leader of KCC Paul Carter in order he is aware of the situation.
You may be aware that this subject is again being discussed on social media and local press.
Kind regards
Pat Sherratt
Chair Planning Committee
The Dover Society
I received a prompt reply that contained a copy of a joint letter from Cllrs Collor and Beresford to the press outlining the various “road” activities they are taking up at County Hall. The item re the Folkestone Rd roundabout as under:
“Some of the work we have requested to be done will be financed through funding we have available from Kent County Council as is the long overdue work on the Folkestone Rd/York Street roundabout. This roundabout as some of you will know, still bears the scars of the disgusting clashes that took place in the town on 30th January 2016 and now here we are, 18 months later, and
this KCC owned roundabout has not been repaired. Why this has not been dealt with before is another mystery. Another long overdue repair is to the York Street wall but this unfortunately will not be included in the planned works as KCC and Highways England are discussing ownership. This should have all been dealt with months ago and it is a great shame there is no central pot for repairs to public property through wilful damage -maybe some of the local people who took part in either
gathering on the day would like to make a contribution
Signed Nigel Collor and Pauline Beresford KCC Members for Dover Town
It is worth noting that the finance Nigel refers is in fact from the KCC Combined Members Funding and not any KCC highways budget so a thank you to both Councillors for using their funding for this project. Of course, it will now depend when KCC Highways schedule the work which based on past experience could be a long period as East Kent projects seem to always be put
on the “backburner”. At the Dover Society, we shall be pressing for work to be completed as soon as possible including theownership problem re York Street
I hope not to bore members/readers but the sale of the old Buckland Hospital raised £1.4million. This was auctioned by KCC as
the East Kent Health Authority sold it to KCC for just over £300k. I have asked the question who will benefit from the sale of this Dover asset, response from KCC at a Clinical Commission Group meeting “The ratepayers of Kent" I rest my case where this £million plus has gone.