Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,802
I always think the vast majority using a pseudonym must have something to hide, either that or they are ashamed of their real name.
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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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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
I never post under my real name as people can be so cruel, I don't know what's funny about Hugh Jarse anyway
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Guest 1033- Registered: 23 Aug 2013
- Posts: 509
I think Mr. Rix's initiative is very well thought out and can do nothing but good. If it fails, it won't be through apathy or lack of effort, and if it succeeds then everyone wins. Why anyone would knock it I really don't understand. I post under my real name, and I really don't care if anyone wants to have a pop at me, feel free.
Guest 1599, Jan Higgins, Guest 649 and
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Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,802
The possibility of those empty or underused buildings being improved and in full use must be a good thing.
Guest 1862 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
Just checked the times when someone will be available to answer questions too early for me however I expect there will be displays to look at and forms for comments outside of the times on the poster.
Guest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
I have often wondered if David Little was a pseudonym. His name pops up occasionally as market saviour, town team leader and politico. But then disappears into the ether. It's as if it's a code name for failure.
A little man in a big world.
Jack of Hearts
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Just a reminder of the exhibition at the library starting today.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,018
Did anyone attend?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Reverting back to the theme of unfortunate names what were this bloke's parents thinking of?
Guest 782- Registered: 4 Oct 2012
- Posts: 357
#68. Yes
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
That Simon is a one once he starts you can't get a word in edgeways, a proper chatterbox.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Tomorrow is the last chance to see the exhibition.
Guest 1862- Registered: 23 Sep 2016
- Posts: 163
Sadly the little questionnaire is rather limited and leaves a lot to be desired. Shame as some will surely say it is not a public consultation but rather " this is the plan, so your opinion is not required" No room for comments, only questions that might be called " leading". One comment overheard " so they can add ticks in the empty boxes?" I replied by suggesting a cross was put in any box where it was felt a tick was not appropriate . So it is certainly open to suggestions of inappropriate "additions" to those who wish to think along those lines . Having said that, any improvement to attract visitors and give the locals something to enjoy, must be welcomed.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,018
I was unable to get to the consultation re Market Square plans.I know one or two forum members look in at the forum so for what it is worth.
The seating does not appear to have back support..The flower beds will be removed ?This will mean no protection from traffic ,not good for children ,the elderly or indeed blind people.Some sort of barrier between traffic and people still needed.
The water feature better placed in Pencester or the sea front.
Good that a few people have tried to make improvements.
Market Square was better in the. Eighties when the traffic especially buses were allowed there,plus flowers .
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Guest 1694- Registered: 24 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,087
Thankyou Sue, and to everyone who popped in to see the exhibition and provided feedback.
In response to yours above Sue - the seats....they need to be secure but removable so that we can create a flat open space to put on more special events and markets in this area during the course of the year. Certainly the project can look at the final design to determine if seat backs are practical for this type of seating.
The beds, yes, they create an obstruction and a barrier with the road. However, they also limit what can be achieved in the space and will interrupt the ability to project full height lasers through the water feature when that is being used to show Dover's story. The flower bed barrier is being replaced with a line of granite balls and the pre-existing granite benches that are placed around the old fountain will be re positioned to sit as a semi-porous barrier between the water feature and the granite balls/roadway.
The purpose of the project is to revitalise the Market Square area and extend the period of time that it is in use each day, hopefully attracting footfall from the St James area and increasing its utility to support new jobs as well as helping to retain the jobs that are already there in our traditional High St. A key part of this job is achieved by having an attractive and interesting feature that tourists and locals alike can interact with, enjoy and photograph. Even when the Sputnick fountain was working, the area was quite sterile with little opportunity for the public to interact (in a legal way) with features in the area, certainly nothing that would have even the faintest chance of drawing visitors to the leisure and retail at St James across the road to our traditional heart. Creating a new, interactive, water feature is a key element of the project and the ability to use lasers to begin to tell our own unique story could help with the early evening economy at certain low points for trade and retail during the course of the year. Placing the water feature at the seafront or in Pencester, whilst it might be nice to have such a feature in these locations, leaves the Market Square as a sterile empty zone, does nothing to attract footfall towards our traditional High St. and undermines the reasoning for the entire bid, which is to create new direct and indirect employment, extend daily use times, even out some of the seasonality and support existing jobs in and around the Market Sq and into the traditional High Street.
I don't disagree that the area was a busier more bustling place in the 1980's with full traffic access and flowers on the roundabout, but returning to this situation is, unfortunately, impractical and beyond the means of the Town Team and scope of this bid to the Coastal Community Fund.
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Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,802
I might have got this completely wrong but after reading Neil's post I get the strong impression that the rest of the town centre does not matter and only the St James and Market Square do.
I know I did not struggle down to see the exhibition but sorry the proposed plan would not make me want to go the Market Square, flower beds might but granite balls, concrete benches and lasers certainly would not.
I also notice there has been no mention of much needed improved public transport to that area.
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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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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Stagecoach would have to serve the area Jan, just as much for their benefit as ours.
Guest 1694- Registered: 24 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,087
Hi Jan, St James area is happening, nothing we can do about it or influence to any great extent now.
The refurbishment of the area between Bench Street and Market Street, which includes the Mkt Sq and water feature, is the extent of the project - the Market Square itself is just a part of the project. This is all we can do at the moment within the financial and time constraints of the funding bid process. The whole town matters and this project is a start, it is what we can do at the moment, and is designed to help the High Street in the light of the likely detrimental impact that St James' development may have on the traditional High St. My comments above should be read in context - I was responding to Sue's specific points - I have written pages and pages to the funding guys that set the project in its wider context and that is difficult to reproduce here in full.
The public transport issue is outside the direct remit of the Town Team, but the project itself provides enhanced bus stop locations/facility for both normal Stage Coach service and the tourist/cruise bus service.
The questions are whether more people are likely to come to this part of town and see our traditional high street if it is left as it is once the DTIZ opens or whether the project enhances the attractiveness of this part of town and accesses to our traditional high street making it more likely that people will cross the road and whether we can hold more events and markets with the existing arrangements or by refurbishing the area we can make it a better space for events and markets.
The large raised flowerbeds currently there are not that attractive to the eye and create a physical barrier between our historic town centre and the new development in the St James area. It is hard enough as it is for our historic high street without having what is effectively a brick wall between it and the new retail and leisure area being created for us by the DDC, Bond City and L&G. BTW, the concrete/granite benches are already in the square, they are just going to be relocated, and new, secure but removable, seating will be added.
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Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,802
Thanks Neil an excellent informative post as usual.
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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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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
The sooner this development happens the better, just came back from Market Square and it was desolate despite it being lunch time on a sunny day and Biggin Street was hardly any better.
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