Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
Could I add here that all council tenants also pay for them as a part of their rent. There is a catch 22 situation with the reasoning here. As play areas are allowed to become run down parents have no choice but to try and provide some safe play equipment for their children in their own gardens. This allows the council to further run down the play areas and look at taking away the equipment. Meanwhile the children get more and more isolated as they have nowhere to play with other children. In their own gardens they are left to become insular and territorial rather than learning interaction and other vital social skills.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
good stuff john, i went through pencester today, the wonderful play area, and the dross lobbing their spent cans and bottles into the river, did not look comfortable together.
good to read that baz witnessed our constabulary involving themselves, i hope that it is not just beacuse it is new.
interesting stuff from marek and keith, great as the pencester facility is, there is still a need for a less plush local facility more local to people.
the clarendon one, could be re-opened now, with community pcso's, they can keep an eye on things.
the same applies to other ones due to be shut due to antisocial behaviour.
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
Popped in today with the kids and had a great time. Lots of 11-14(ish) year olds on their way home, but all was good and the kids loved it. It is great.
Guest 648- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 258
Im glad John you have had a meeting with the revelant Officer.I think you shoud read the strategy.The 75 areas included all Parish Council ones Let us list some Temple Ewell,River,Whitfield ,Wingham,Alkham ,St Margarets so this list goes on.These Villages are already double rated.We pay for our play equipment through our Parish Precept.Parishes have always been double rated.I pay for Pencester and River??
There is money in the budget for play areas .Some have had a coat of paint .The butts got new equipment as will Kearsney .Chris is right the tenants pay for play areas throught their rents known as HRA.A group of tenants vised most of the play areas and as we could only retain so many they made recommendations.We dont do things lightly.
Guest 648- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 258
Sorry I hit the send button so some words are miss spelt.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
John/Marek
I think you are both correct, problem we have is that everyone moans when youths congregate and it has shown how popular the skateboard park and the new play area by the number of users.
Trouble is you cant have it both ways. taking away facilities then moaning cos youths hang about doesnt add up.
Maybe this should prompt a regular debate with youth both those in education and outside, and im not talking about a democracy day in council chambers im talking of a regular fact finding what youth want.
this would have to be clearly stated on finances of the council, but usually if you speak to the youth they are good at recognising the problems, and you may even get some good ideas/solutions.
Its clear now there will ONLY BE 10 sites or so across the district and other sites will close, now that is he case, maybe a debate should start on what happens next? are there solutions? does anyone care?
Surely there must be ways of looking at these problems, they wont go away, in fact if all these facilities go, problems are likely to increase.
We have some serious problems looming
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
A bowling alley ,an ice rink, a supervised youth club,a paint ball centre,an adventure park,free entry to the swimming baths and a subsidised cinema are just a few of the things that could be included when Dover eventually gets round to building the St James project.That would help to keep youngsters occupied.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
Keith /Marek having 3 teenagers actually 2 one is in the mad 20's (I know I don't look old enough)trying to find out what they want is difficult not impossible,I asked at the full Council if the Youth Council can ask a question at every full Council,which would help the Youth realise that what they say will be listened too,but no response so far from the Cabinet.
That would be the start,the Youth Statergy is ok but do you know any Youth who was asked about it,none of the Councillors for Buckland,St Rads or Tower Hamlets know no one who was asked.
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
Unregistered User
Not true John . It was explained to you that the Council's Constitution allowed for Public questions , as evidenced by Reg Hansell's question. Anybody can ask a question providing it has relevance to DDC activities.
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
Thanks for that Paul,then what about asking the Youth Council if they would like to ask a Question at every Full Council,to make the Youth feel part of our democratic society
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
who would finance the bowling alley, skating rink, paint ball facility etc?
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
even better john, why notv elect a youth person to be spokesperson for youth at council meetings
wow far to radical for this council me finks!!!
howard been there before
And please can it be someone who is scruffy and a bit shy, perhaps, or someone with long hair, or a black youth, or a gay or lesbian youth, or someone with difference..........I don't really mean we should practice positive discrimination, just making a point. Many of the Youths we co-opt to stuff like this tend to be clean-cut, conformist and the younger brother/nephew/grandson of someone already on the political scene. Just an observation!!!!!!!!!!
Guest 677- Registered: 8 Jul 2008
- Posts: 150
There's a bowling alley just off the St Radiguns estate, or at least there used to be, it's members only but I believe membership is inexpensive and easy to get. Having said that I agree that there is definately a need for more youth orientated activity it would at least get the under 18s out of the night clubs...maybe.
It's not the man in my life, its the life in my man!!
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
Rowleys Snooker club is absolutely amazing. I'm not sure if it is still open, I used to be a member, but I found it a surreal experience when I first went there. It is the sort of thing (in an ideal world) that if purchased for the purpose of filling the recreation gap for young people, would be an amazingly powerful facility. As I've said before I don't think bowling alleys and ice rinks are the geat solution to all our problems with bored youths as some do. The reality that most get bored with them. Ironically many kids like doing things that are actually far more boring like hanging about around convenience stores and looking moody!
Unfortunatley I think (if still open) the age requirement is 16, but really cheap. It really is amazing if still going. A small bar, 10ish full size snooker tables, another 10ish pool tables, 6ish dart boards, 2 fully automated bowling lanes (although none of that fancy electronic scoring) A beautiful space really, that no one really uses!
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
By the way Rowleys is the one Stephanie is refering to!
Sounds good, for lots of ages!!
Guest 677- Registered: 8 Jul 2008
- Posts: 150
Thank you DT1, I couldn't remember, it's been such a long time since I've been up there I'm glad someone else knew what I was talking about.
If it is still open maybe it should be encouraged to have events for the younger teenagers. If it isn't still open maybe some enterprising rich person could help out. Just a thought.
It's not the man in my life, its the life in my man!!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
where is the night club?
didn't think that we had one.
was not aware that we had a bowling alley too.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
BERN
Getting back to the point, I attended the democracy day each year at the council offices, blimey it was school kids
but all attended local schools
none were excluded youth which might have benefited from the day.#
Iv watched youths be excluded then just fall out of the system solely because no one can commit time to them which is sometimes all it takes