Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
2 October 2009
21:3129703My advice Phil, take a seat to the side, have a nice comfy pillow with you and relax.
someone should wake you up when they have finished.
if not you can meet and greet the public in the morning.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
3 October 2009
08:2929708If you can spare the time Ian, do come along, it'll be good to have some support.
We need a change of viewpoint on the river; it's not a countryside river where it flows through open country where the biodiversity is (perhaps) more important, but an urban river, where its aesthetics are as important as biodiversity and a balance of the two have to be struck - at the moment I believe there is two much weed/plant-life in it; we need some for the grubs etc. to be an integral part of the food chain, but not as many as there are now.
And of course with the growth in the weeds, they catch and keep the rubbish that is thrown in there, instead of it all flowing down and being caught in the grills that are in various spots along the river - these aren't cleaned out as often as they should be.
Roger
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
3 October 2009
20:4429769Thanks Roger but I think I'll pass on that, I'm working anyway.
I could say enjoy but I think you'll be let down. It's a case of mind over matter, they don't mind and you don't matter.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
7 October 2009
21:4929967Come on then boys, spit it out, get it off your chest.
How did you get on? Or are you still in there asleep?
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
7 October 2009
22:0529968roger will carry on with hitting a dead end ian.
the biggest story to hit this forum(the run down town centre) has ignited no real passion here or at the council.
do you think that any improvement will be made to the river?
of course you don't.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
7 October 2009
22:1929969Never, Never, Never.
Roger is hitting what I've been hitting for over 25yrs. A massive brick wall.
He looks to the future and to the better the same as I and a lot do but with the same result.
WHY won't people listen? Why do we have to keep going throught this time and time again?
They get paid for doing NOTHING for the people. It's time it should and ought to change. But how and When.
I talked to a neighbour today who told a couple of west country yoofs ( mid country beggining with L ) they are not allowed to fish the river now. He received the usual response. He phoned the E.A who told him to phone the police.
2 days later he got a phone call telling him no one could attend.
WHY BOTHER.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
8 October 2009
06:0729972This level of apathy is unbelievable. People who volunteer and aren't paid care more and do more than the people we are shelling out to keep in jobs for the very purpose the volunteers are filling. The fact that these people are being paid to fail is the equivilent in terms of swindling us as the MPs expenses scandal -and let us not forget that either!!
Perhaps some of the local reps who read this forum to keep up with what is being said about them could look into this? Maybe we could demand some evidence of action and activity?
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
8 October 2009
08:1929976Hi Ian
Well, I didn't fall asleep in the meeting and I gave some (what I thought was good) input.
Also there was Guzzler, Phil Eyden, Kirk Alexander from the White Cliffs Countryside Project, Jeremy Cope and Roger Marples from the Dover Society, Georgette Rapley, a chap from Crabble Corn Mill, some others too and a couple of chaps from the E.A. - Tom Reid, who I met with Ian along Barton Path a couple of months or so ago and a chap from the flood-risk section.
My contention is that the river Dour, our "Urban" river, doesn't need so much weed and plant-life as it currently has and that a balance must be struck between bio-diversity and the aesthetic appearance of the river.
It's not in open countryside, it flows through a town, it has a path alongside it as well as gardens on one side.
Most Riparian owners don't give a hoot about the river, so long as it takes their garden waste down-stream.
The general public's view of what the river should look like, is mostly completely different to the E.A.'s.
I do believe that educating people as to what their riparian owners responsibility is, is important (whether they'll take any notice of it or not, is a different matter) and so a list of addresses of the various riparian owners will be sought and they'll be written to advising them of their responsibilities, what's expected of them and the consequences of not abiding by the laws.
They won't, simply won't, entertain a river-warden, who if they did would have to be a fully qualified EA person, but it just won't happen.
Photos were shown round the table of before and after their work; the "before's" showed a river free of anything - weeds, plant-life, rubbish; the "after" photos showed all the plant-life, but no rubbish - well they wouldn't would they ?
A schedule of clearing out the various grills were given - monthly it appears, but with the rubbish accumulation, weekly would be better.
Not a waste of time at all, yes a talking shop - for the EA to advise us what they are doing for our river, but no real cognisance of people's real concerns.
No camera either for Bartion Path, even though I pointed out that it stopped as soon as the camera went up and restarted as soon as it was taken away.
Roger.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
8 October 2009
11:4029980Thank's for the feed back Roger.
I told you didn't I, A simple case of mind over matter.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
10 October 2009
23:0230159just to wind ian up a bit.
on local teletext today i read that the environment agency ran a clean up in tonbridge.
they removed 18 shopping trolleys, amongst other rubbish, from the river there.
did they not tell us that rubbish clearance was not within their remit????????
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
11 October 2009
07:3530165Yes they did Howard and repeated it at last week's meeting; bio-diversity - weeds and plantlife, only.
Maybe it was an EA organised one - would our's be classed as that Phil (Eyden),even though they're done by the White Cliffs Countryside Project.
Roger
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
12 October 2009
14:1830261QUOTE: "No camera either for Barton Path, even though I pointed out that it stopped as soon as the camera went up and restarted as soon as it was taken away."
An official camera installation is no doubt very expensive but there is nothing to stop a concerned individual with a view of Barton Path from installing their own cameras and recording equipment. Very cheap and simple.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
12 October 2009
17:5330277you sure about the legality ed?
it would be filming everyone walking past, surely that would be seen as infringing privacy.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
12 October 2009
19:3630282Howard I would like to report that I am now completely unwindable, I have no interest any more.
I have to say I find the whole thing laughable now, The river has been taken away from the public, when it suits the Agency.
They rely on unpaid employment and believe me it aint light work, they can't supply any one to monitor the fishing or anything else, they leave it to overgrow and get on with it, they think it is wonderful.
2 years from now all we'll have left is an overgrown ditch.
Please remember this thread in the future when more of the public start shouting about it.
Re the CCTV Ed, I checked this with the ASBO unit some years ago and I'm afraid to say it is a big NO NO.
You won't hear a peep about this subject from me again. And that is a promise. I've washed my hands of the whole thing.
Ian.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
12 October 2009
20:2830285Whilst strolling along the Barton Path this afternoon towards Cherrytree Avenue I passed by a father & son who were happily taking in the last of the sunshine sipping from their cans of Coke, they smiled and said 'Good Afternoon' on their travels. Moments later I was astonished to see both of them throw their cans at the ducks in the river, maybe this is now an accepted pastime ...lost for words
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
12 October 2009
20:3930288applies better in pencester posh, just stare at them for a while, the penny never drops!!
makes you wonder what their living room looks like.
13 October 2009
07:2830329One word: scum.
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
14 October 2009
19:3730475Hi Phil. Might try and make that on the 27th. I assume that`s the ex-B&Q car park?
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
14 October 2009
19:5530479That's it Colin. 10:15 ish, hope to see you there!
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
14 October 2009
19:5930480Thanks Phil. I`ll stand in the B&Q car park at Whitfield, and if no one turns up,
I`ll shoot down to the old one! ......Only joking mate, I know which one you mean.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.