Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
"
Multi Million Pound Town Centre Redevelopment.
Multi Million Pound Town Centre Redeveloment proposals to develop the St James area in Dover Town Centre which could bring more than 500jobs to the area, Have been given the greenlight by the Dover District Councillors.
The Council owns a large part of the site and agreed that the proposals can proceed to a formal planning application,subject to the resolution of a number of minor design issues.Upon resolution of these issues , an application could be made within the next month.(Well that was done also the planning brief, plans have been done for the site.)
At the end of this press release we have the following...
Councillor Paul Watkins, Leader of the Dover DistrictCouncil,said
"The recent Council decision brings the Dover St James development a stage nearer fruition.
Its completion brings a major boost to the economic regeneration of the area."
"
It goes on to say more but I will stop there. the date of the Press Release is 17may 2005. need I say anymore. I keep things like this. It is in their words not mine and nothing has been done. the cost of the planning briefs etc run into 1000s of pounds and that is where our money is going, so what do they do to get that money back, they get rid of good staff. And it goes on and on.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
I sympathise with your view here Vic. Its very disappointing not to have seen any real movement. It seems years ago now in the height of a glorious summer when ASDA held their Marquee experience in pencester gardens. They showed in highly polished style, what we could expect from them when they came to Dover, all their clothing ranges, their food, and so on so forth, and quite impressive it was. As someone who walks and looks at the central delapidation almost every morning I myself was keen to see movement, but as with all things in Dover nobody could agree on anything and a certain amount of momentum was lost, and indeed the momentum may be gone completely now.
Heads have dipped.
The demolition of the bus garage has been the one and only highlight. There was a bit of a half hearted archeological dig...and that was that as far as the naked eye of the prole was/is concerned.
Note Vic: Have reshaped your post above slightly to make it more readable for viewers.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Thank you Boss for that,I could do with you on my team,
(Think about it). Vic M
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Vic & PaulB
Both posts make very interesting reading.I am not in the 'loop' as Roger puts it but can only comment on what I have witnessed with my own eyes. I moved to Dover in 1978 from a very busy office job in central Manchester where inner city land even then was at a premium.The Arndale Centre (pre-bombing) was being built and pubs,restaurants and coffeee bars were fast emerging.
I drove past the Dover swimming baths on my way to the Docks and noticed the large unused site in St James area which was and is a car park.Well coming from M/Cr I thought the Dover residents very lucky to have so much space tp park their car so close to the docks,seafront and town centre.What a thick northern lad I was ...until I heard that it was under development and that it would soon be lost to offices shops etc.
32 years later it is still a large, but now under used, car park awaiting development.I am not sure how one can justify 32 years of inactivity but what the hell do I know..I'm not in any loop but probably just plain 'loopy'.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Again Marek thank you for that post,again nail on the head,and your word"Justify"is a very good word in this case.
32 years is a very long time I think the only loop we need to see is round the neck.(Just a joke Roger),but again Marek good post,at times over the years I have had a feeling that I am the only one figting for a better Dover,but I was wrong and now see it. Vic M
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
The only real movement so far...
Demolition Day at the Bus Garage!
DDC Cabinet Councillors Nigel Collor and Frederick Scales stand in the rubble of a partly demolished Bus Garage...October 2008 ( i think my dates are right)
Guest 648- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 258
In those days Marek Burlington House was occupied by a bank and Customs and Excise .P.O had an office on the site also a busy petrol Station .
The bus garage occupied a huge chunk of that site .The St James car park was in full use then .
Back in the seventies you had more people working at the docks ,people employed by the Hovercraft company .We were a garrison town .Wonderful shops that sold good quality clothes .Officers wives supported these .Over the years these factors have gone nothing to do with DDC /
The market saw off the Hovercraft industry ,Government moved the army away and jobs were also lost at the port .
Dover engineering company closed .The Mines closed .Shall I continue .
THe work force has been ripped out of our district .Those with qualifications not all I hasten to add have moved away .For work .
Recently Barwicks a well known Building firm closed its doors .So the list goes on even our newspaper offices upd sticks .
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
I was talking about the strip of scruffy tarmac with pit holes opposite the swimming baths through to the closed down pub The Castle. It was crappy in '78 and is still crappy today.Regardless of all the above which I recall and also wiitnessed.And as a side issue who's fault is it that Dover fails to hang on to any form of businesses?It can't all be blamed on market forces.Its just plain apathy.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Boss great photo. We all need hard hats on just to walk down that part of Dover even on the pathways.
Marek keep going you are making my day,like me go for the neck.
Guest 648- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 258
Not too sure Marek I think that is private land .There are still CPOs to be made
Interestingly Marek I was in conversation with a chap who worked at Buckland Mill .He reckons the closure of the mill was all politics .The Mill employed many people but the ownership changed and our Mill closed .
Before you all start shouting there is a planning application for the site .
Recession has hit hard .Investment is slow .Labour Government has not made it easy for developments to take place .Barry is the financial man..
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Sue
If you ever get the time and inclination watch 'Flog it' BBC2. They travel the country searching for antiques and each programme is started by a quick introduction to the town/city playing host to that episode.Nearly every town is introduced with a quick history of the town ie famous for... shoe makers, hats, mills etc and is quickly followed up with "but following a £40 0r 50 million rejunenation programme for this or that the town is once again thriving" How come Dover always misses out on these handouts and if we haven't missed out where has the money been spent.
There are even less benches to sit on these days in comparison to '78...
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,023
Slightly off the subject .I have been listening to the radio when im not at this lap top .Talk on children getting Grammar school places outside of their area ,Back in 1949 i narrowly missed getting a Grammar school place .If I had attended the nearest Grammar School it would have meant a three mile cycle trip along country lanes before 8.00am then a bus journey of some eight miles to Chelmsford the County town of Essex .By gum times were hard then
Every where you look employment by its very nature has moved along at a paceIn my home town we had a Bacon Factory Dunmow Flitch ,now housing .I worked at the Sugarbeet Factory when I first left School in Felstead now a housing site .My home town caters for the nearby Stansted Airport ,houses built everywhere .Its not only Dover where Housing is planned .Sign of the times however it has given employment to many .
How many of you recall Coutaulds a huge factory which spun nylon and silk long since gone .That was in Braintree .The silk used for the Queens Wedding Veil was spun there .
Completely off the subject but times move on .Now we all expect too much .
Back to the chores now .Marek I did have shoes but all clothes were made by my Mother,or hand me downs . .
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
no doubt a chunk of hovis and a glass of tepid water for lunch too.
Marek, it has not been like that since 1978. It has been like that since it was destroyed by hitlers bombing and shelling during WW2 . The rest of europe has been rebuilt several times since then but the middle of Dover is still a car park.
The recession can be blamed for much, but not for so many years of, well, nothing. Inactivity and sloth par excellence, a complete screw-up by local reps, one after another for years. Councillors: FFS stop yapping and do stuff.
Guest 684- Registered: 26 Feb 2009
- Posts: 635
As Bern said: "The recession can be blamed for much, but not for so many years of, well, nothing. Inactivity and sloth par excellence, a complete screw-up by local reps, one after another for years. Councillors: FFS stop yapping and do stuff."
Can't better that!
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
#6 The first time I`ve seen this picture. Very, very sad indeed, an ideal building, very appropriate with it`s original use, for refurbishing for the Dover transport museum, instead of stuffed away at the back of Whitfield! Now this is what tourist`s and visitor`s look for, and a big crowd puller, not another supermarket. Now nothing at all, not even the old bus garage. I just give up with this town`s planning.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Colin you had a good point there to it would have great for the transport museum,well you all know what I think of the DDC planning dept.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Yes Colin you are right, it would have made a good transport museum, but of course all were working towards a different agenda then. The excitement of seeing the thing come down was directly in relation to the fab new development that was going to take its place. Not now going to happen, as we have heard with the latest news today. So one might think now in retrospection that it was an unfortunate double whammy.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Not sure the transport museum would have wanted to move from their current venue, they have done a massive amount of work to it...
Been nice knowing you :)
email: dover7@msn.com