Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
A long post but I hope some of you find it interesting.
Along with other Councillors and Officers of DDC, I went on a Regeneration tour of Dover District today.
The sites we visited were:
Elysium Park Close, off of Old Park Hill, Dover
The Port Zone and what is happening there
MultiPanelUK at Eythorne
Hammill Brickworks site, Woodnesborough
Discovery Park, Sandwich
Betteshanger - Fowlmead Country Park and the Business Park
Sholden Fields Deal - housing development
Minters Yard
The Elysium Park development was good to see and at £190,000 for 2 beds and £250,000 for 3 beds, pretty good value really. I could see that people who currently live and work in London, could relocate here and enjoy a good life by the sea, perhaps some with no mortgage. Afterall, it has been said that we need people with money and disposable income.
We were told about the expansion of a number of businesses and development of others at the Port Zone.
On the way to Eythorne, we went past the old Manley House development - that looks very good and some good houses have been built on the old Royal Oak pub grounds.
MultiPanel UK at Eythorne have a very good product and is a very exciting venture with an investment figure of £12 million. Sales around the U.K. Europe, Australia, America and Canada - and they chose Dover District.
The next site we visited was the old Hammill Brick site at Woodnesborough. There will be live and work commercial units as well as other commercial units and 19 luxury houses, around ½ million up to about £700,000 - a very good project for the District.
The Discovery Park was our next place to visit. Pfizer still occupy 10% of the site in 3 buildings and have 650 people still working there, working on development (more than research). Patents have run out on many of there older drugs, but we were advised than many new ones are being developed that do and will, have new patents.
The site itself is now around 50% full and it is expected that in the not too distant future, it will be back to employing the 7,000 it once used to. It was stated that Sandwich needs to be within that magic hour of travel from London and this is deemed to be possible.
There's a business there that is doing research/evaluation on Omega 3 extraction from Algae - very clever.
There is also a fertility company in Sydney that wanted to find a site in Europe and after looking all over the place, settled on Sandwich - great for the District.
Our next visit was to Fowlmead/Betteshanger country Park and Business Park. Hadlow have a £40 million investment there and a very bright future too - another plus for the District.
The housing development at Sholden Fields - providing 2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses that are selling quite well. A good layout of housing with 60 something affordable homes.
The last stop was to Minters Yard in Deal. Seems to be a success too, all built units have now been taken.
A good and worthwhile trip round to visit all these sites - good news for Dover and there are many more being worked on.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
thanks for info roger, hopefully this will continue and full regeneration will happen.
not sure about sandwich being one hours travelling distance from london.
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
Good to see some jobs development in there
BUT the elephant in the room, is conservative policy to expand open doors to the EU masses, nicking all the job and forcing dawn wages
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
AND DOVER?or have they moved Dover out of the district?
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
how much did the tour cost the tax payer roger.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
kiethb,depending on qualafacations,experiance and hourly rate.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Apart from Howard, what a negative bunch you lot are.
We already know about the DTIZ, the major supermarket chain and the Cineworld multi-screen cinema complex there; there is also of course the Western Heights development and Farthingloe.
As I said at the end of that opening post, there are also lots of other developments being worked on.
With regard to the Discovery Park at Sandwich, I forgot to mention that there are 60 companies there and by the end of the year, it is expected that the number of those working there will be 1500 which is half way to the short term target of 3000 jobs by 2017. The Masterplan will create the opportunity to get the site back to where it was in its heyday of around 7,000 people employed there.
Do you not want good news for Dover and the District ? The value of all this inward investment is in the region of £2 billion.
Jobs and houses, two of the most important things for any area.
All of those sites where we had the chance to talk to the owners and/or developers, all of them praised the Planning department at DDC, saying they could not have got there without them and their very helpful approach (special note for you Vic) and in particular, thanked Tim Ingleton, DDC's Regeneration Supremo.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i must admit not to have many dealings with the planning department but from what i understand they have to be very careful to comply with all legislation/regulations that governments throw at them, hence they can sometimes make decisions that are unpopular.
having said that they did get an award for their work on this one.
https://www.dover.uk.com/forums/dover-forum/ddc-planning-successPaul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,225
Oh Vic, businesses choose where to locate, they don't have to pick Dover District, there are many other locations available. You need to remember you worked at the extremes of Dover District presumably because your boss the excellent Eric Cook found a suitable location to work from & it made business sense.
Two of the locations were within Dover/Whitfield.
You can expect activity at Connaught Barracks site, Farthingloe/Western Hts to come.
It's a shame some people can't take good news without the proverbial whinge.
Watty
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,795
Roger and Paul W, I thought you knew whinge is the middle name for some of us.
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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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Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,855
constructive views
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,225
with a sense of humour Jan.
Watty
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
No mention of the elephant then ?
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I did not say at anytime it was not good news for the District in fact it is very good news ,all I said was again what about Dover all the things that are happing in the district happen,but sorry we do not see the same action in Dover,O yes there is lots of talk about it ,but its been that way for many years.And I still say Mr Walkden that the pl;anning dept of the D,D,C, has held the town of Dover up but the same can be said about both the reds and the blues partys, but I still trust the blues more then the reds to put it right at some time.And it is just my views.I am now 71years old and know now that I will never live to see Dover a leading town again as it was in the 1960s.I go back to my bunker now.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,855
I don't think the planning has moved much from your days post 14
and anyone living in and around Dover would probably share your viiew(not about who to trust more though)
That said, we should congratulate any moves to increase employment, and encourage any such moves, in any part of the District
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
The Planning Department has been restructured recently, some old faces have gone and new faces now there. It is a whole new approach to planning/developers and regeneration.
Howard, you mentioned that currently Sandwich is not within that magic hour - it is true - currently, but I believe the aim is to get the journey time down to an hour to Thanet. What I meant by re-profiling was Network Rail looking to make improvements along the route from Ashford through to Canterbury and then on to Thanet. Don't know the exact details, but would be a combination of works, signal improvements, track etc all to the existing route to shave time off the current journey.
Roger
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
Does it make a difference who is in control of a council regarding their planning department, this is a genuine question?
Dover has been waiting far too long for development, no one can deny that but that does not mean things will never happen. In fact Roger has proven with this thread that things are happening.
If more people put their energy into making sure their elected councillors and officers work for them, instead of constantly criticizing them and giving them no support at all, then more things might/will get done.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Thank You Gary - well said.
I would add though that direction regarding most if not all departments, does come from the Leader.
Roger
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
dover has been waiting since may 1945 to be redeveloped,a few years more will not make any difference.
just poped back to say it will cost if we do wait a few more years.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,855
Let me put another slant on this;
Roger is quite correct that IT SHOULD BE the leader who makes the direction
sadly councils are officer led(and this is labour/or tory)
and unlikely to change.
With regard to gary's point, the answer is NO, there is so little that councils can do these days, whether it be through financial restraint, or purely the little powers they have to make change
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS