Guest 1862- Registered: 23 Sep 2016
- Posts: 163
One thing that surprised me was that there were no young people present. Surely the plans and changes will affect them more than any of us. They are the future of Dover, they will spend more time with the consequences be they good or bad, than any of us. As regards the town clerk, sadly, being a public speaker is not what she is cut out to be. The microphones were not as effective as they could have been and I had problems understanding some of her mumbling, heavens knows what , if anything, was heard by a gent at the back, even though he was wearing his hearing aids, he had to ask people to speak into the Mike.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,860
Well here we go,,,,,,,,,
I will attempt to say a little but if it all gets personal I will refrain from posting on that subject
Jan's correct the personal incorrect and often libel comments do little for the forum.
Now, lets back to the subject in hand.
Patrick S I feel summed up the meeting very well.
I do feel it would be good to add just a few further comments,
I do feel Love Dover has probably not got off to the best start, and this has not really been helped by those representing it(in my view)
Without doubt the group was set up with good intention, but it should be remembered this was with the help of £350,000 of taxpayers dosh.
The way Directors it appears self appointed themselves is doing little to help the image.
I also share those concerns that having used all that tax payers dosh,there is no accountability to local people.
The only way the info will come forward is through the charities commission.
Should this project go ti** up the two directors ms Burton and the mayor just have liabilities of a £1
shelling out all that dosh should have had some sort of accountability to DTC
When these, and other questions were asked by myself and a few other cllrs(many remained quiet, which I can only assume they support this unaccountable issue) it appears DTC has lost all control of the dosh,
No details were given of other estate agents that were asked to be part or take part.
And im still none the wiser on how,or who appointed these directors, and why DTC didn't have some kind of input bearing in mind a lot of taxpayers dosh was given.
What I also asked at the full council was the quote from the mayor who stated DTC still had the control but isn't thecase
Where, like Mr Nuttal in the bye election in stoke, the mayor said he wasnrt aware of the article
yet it was a full page article
I did then ask, once the article came out, ifhe thought he hadn't wrote it, why wasn't hisview that it wasn't his article on line soon after?
So there are quite a lot of unanswered questions that wont just go away, and if you want to get people behind you, Love Dover, or some of it leading lights are doing little to make this happen
Like Patrick S I feel with such a large turn out that questions should not have finished 20 minutes early than advertised just because some were difficult.
The express really did have the Mayor squirming over its simple questions over love Dover
And it's unhelpful for the chair of the night to respond along the lines of one persons question, that its of no concern to him as he lives in deal.
The chair at regular intervals was looking at her watch more so when difficult questions flew forward.
I indicated many times to speak but that's fine as many other members of public did.
Still this is ongoing and hopefully will become more open in the future,
We can only hope.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,939
The problem is not about either Rix or the Town Clerk. It is about the play off between probity & transparency and 'commercial confidentiality'. What I chose to do with my own money is my own business [U]but[/U] if I am spending other peoples money which has been stolen from them through tax I should agonise over every pound spent knowing that I will be called upon to account for my spending.
There are various models which I can cite on how good practice can and should be used when looking at neighbourhood improvement schemes (outside compulsory purchase which brings in all sorts of problems about correct valuations).
Councils can buy entire properties at auction. If a council wishes to buy a property they should keep quiet about their plans and get a ringer to bid on their behalf (otherwise the vendor may get a bidder to push the price up beyond its 'true' vale). After the auction the council has honestly bought the property at the true market price. i.e. what the highest bidder will pay.
An alternative is to pay for improvements to property owned by others.
There are two models normally used. Say you own a property valued at £200,000. We then spend £50,000 on improving the property. If you sell immediately you owe council £50,000. After a year £45,000 etc tapering away until after 10 years you owe nothing.
The second (and much better way) is you own property valued at £200,000 and council 'invests' £50,000 in home improvements BUT then owns 20% equity stake so will get 20% of sale price whenever sold.
[U]Because[/U] of the secrecy involved in the LoveHoney purchase even AFTER the transaction has been finished it is no wonder that the town and the blogosphere are full of rumours of back-handers and dirty dealing.
If everything is as good as Rix says and somehow his business acumen has got us all a real bargain please tell us. We'd all like to know how he did it (we might even pick up a few tips?) and it's what we're all [U]obliged[/U] to do when we are given the responsibility of spending other people's money.
Hopefully we'll all be watching young Wiggins' 'Ghosts of Dover' on the lazer display fountain rather than the 'Ghosts of Poulson and T Dan Smith' played by local characters.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,018
My daughter is home on a short visit.Today we were walking up Biggin Street and those empty shops opposite Marks and Spencer are a disgrace.Talk about Love Dover time the DTC did something about the state of these shops.In Bench street there were three
rough sleepers.Before buying up buildings which look decent concentrate on the untidy ones.What a terrible impression for visitors or young people on a visit home.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Those properties were sold at auction late last year Sue although the For Sale sign is still outside I believe. I think that the Love Dover crowd did attend the auction but the price needed was out of their reach.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,018
Yes I did hear that Howard however DTC should be putting pressure on the owners.They are in a terrible state.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,803
Agreed to many of the buildings in that part of town need more than a coat of paint to improve the look of them.
It is a shame that Love Dover did not acquire them as they certainly fitted that group's remit, it is now up to DDC and DTC to contact the new owner and force their improvement.
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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
It is not the business of councils to force property owners to maintain them. Fortunately we don't live in a state run country where govt controls every aspect of our lives.
The logical step is council employees knocking on doors and fining people for having dirty windows and untidy lawns.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,018
The Respective councils can use enforcement powers to get them tidied up what's the point of painting every wear with blue paintmand not making sure this work is done .Its like wearing new clothes over dirty ones.
Guest 1792 likes this
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,803
What tosh David, maybe you are happy to see run down properties, I am not. No one is talking about dirty windows but buildings in a poor state of repair.
Councils already have the power to force owners to look after their run down properties and if they refuse in some cases can institute compulsory purchase orders.
Guest 1792 likes this
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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: 6,018
Some people have been invited to a showing of the film Dover on the edge .I have seen a few clips.David if you don't want to see my appearance don't attend .I talked about Pride .
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Poorly maintained buildings can be a danger to he public as evidenced many times here in Dover with falling masonry. I think only DDC can apply pressure on the owners and they have prosecuted in the past.
Guest 1849- Registered: 12 Sep 2016
- Posts: 440
Jan Higgins wrote:What tosh David, maybe you are happy to see run down properties, I am not. No one is talking about dirty windows but buildings in a poor state of repair.
Councils already have the power to force owners to look after their run down properties and if they refuse in some cases can institute compulsory purchase orders.
Whether I'm happy to see run down properties or not isn't the question, the definition of "poor state of repair" is open to interpretation. The DTIZ site, owned by DDC, has been a derelict eyesore for years, contributing to stagnant commercial property prices in the area.
Councils need to sort themselves out before they start bullying landlords - who would buy property in central Dover after decades of neglect?
Guest 1849- Registered: 12 Sep 2016
- Posts: 440
howard mcsweeney1 wrote:Poorly maintained buildings can be a danger to he public as evidenced many times here in Dover with falling masonry. I think only DDC can apply pressure on the owners and they have prosecuted in the past.
Who have they prosecuted?
What was the cost?
What was the outcome?
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,018
It does take time. .The old Labour Exchange in Kings Street had been revamped also one in Beaconsfield. Road.If a property has over hanging trees or hedges they will get a letter from DDC.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,302
Re #51. What's this about Dover on the edge Sue?
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
D Little wrote:Who have they prosecuted?
What was the cost?
What was the outcome?
Absentee owners of a decrepit property in Atholl Terrace were fined but from what I remember the cost of renovation would have been a lot higher.
Jan Higgins likes this
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,018
Terry a film made by Richard Bundy.Ray Newsam , Barry O Brian Joanne Jones ,Clore Smith me. and a few others were interviewed.We were asked how we could improve DoverIts about an hour long I think and I have been invited to attend the showing next Sunday.
Guest 1792- Registered: 2 Jul 2016
- Posts: 111
whats the point in going to meetings when the public gets ignored !Burton & Brivio don't care a jot what the public think ,Beats me how someone can be impartial when she sits on KCC DDC & DTC ,And just who employed someone who is totally unqualified for the job and now takes taxpayers money for the degrees that's needed ,,Sack the lot of em about as useful as chocolate teapots
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,803
" totally unqualified for the job" #59
Who are you talking about? If it is Allison Burton she is a barrister, my lawyer grandson looked her up for me.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
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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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