howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Nifties will be open from 11 am today, everything will be going for free.
Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,939
IF people are actually interested in town centre development (beyond the usual 'obvious' but very stupid ideas of 'free parking' and 'reducing business rates') the LGA booklet 'Revitalising town centres: a handbook for council leadership' might make interesting reading.
It's downloadable here:-
https://www.local.gov.uk/revitalising-town-centres-handbook-council-leadership
FWIW I went on one of the LGA training days a couple of months ago and am booked into this:-
As someone who has attended our events or been interested in LGA work on town centre, you may be interested in an opportunity to learn from experts and from what others are doing to revitalise their town centres. We are working with Didobi Ltd and Partners on a ‘masterclass’ that will be spread over two days, with the first day taking place on 29th November 2018, in central London followed by the second date in the new year, on 17th January.
LGA training is absolutely free to member councils of which DDC is one, though I've never seen any other local councillors present. Perhaps they are too busy preparing press releases for the local rag to show how wonderful they are or having pre-Brexit meetings to prepare for things when they don't know what's going to happen, and whatever happens DDC can do bugger all about it!
(Incidentally I was talking to a local hotel manager and they are enjoying their best Autumn ever absolutely packed with public servants all on expenses paid for by you and me!)
Needless to say [U]I [/U]have paid and will pay my own expenses and not claim a penny from DDC.
Town centre development is complicated. If things were as simple as Mary Portas thought all High Streets everywhere would be thriving. Unfortunately unless you understand the problems people tend to come out with simplistic and populist bollocks.
"Shall we go, you and I, while we can? Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds"
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,860
Hes unable to be on sick leave
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,939
"Shall we go, you and I, while we can? Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds"
Guest 2478- Registered: 6 Feb 2018
- Posts: 11
As someone who is taking over an established independent business in the town, I believe that the high street is changing. Big stores don't offer the customer service and customers can't haggle where as the indy shops have to offer great service to survive and expect the odd cheeky barter. I think Dover is thriving and will continue to do so.
Last time i went to Debs I left my goods at the till as no-one was serving and all to busy chatting. Large shops have felt they were immune from closure but unless service is good and prices fair then people will go elsewhere.
Jan Higgins and howard mcsweeney1 like this
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,860
Good luck with your new venture(which i think we have discussed?) Lady Stewart
Guest 2478 likes this
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 7,939
Strange but true
Retail vacancy Rates
2012 2018
Dover 25.3% 15.2%
Deal 9.5% 5.8%
Sandwich 13.8% 5.4%
"Shall we go, you and I, while we can? Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds"
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
the question is how much of that money will be used for admin, and how much will actually go into the high street.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Reginald Barrington
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,231
Great our high street is saved, God bless her.
Arte et Marte
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
We know that councillors have been talking to Sandra Malho about regeneration, hopefully everyone will pull together rather than have different groups working independently as so often happens here.
Incidentally soon to be ex Cllr Richards has come under criticism on FB for leaving all that stuff in the old Nifties shop and has responded with the usual expletives.
Reginald Barrington- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,231
howard mcsweeney1 wrote:We know that councillors have been talking to Sandra Malho about regeneration, hopefully everyone will pull together rather than have different groups working independently as so often happens here.
That's the problem Howard they all want to be seen to care, Charlotte just being the latest, (her party solution free internet and under 25 bus passes) but none of them do or can do anything.
Arte et Marte
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
probably all talk and no trousers job.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Rather a gloomy report on the future of shopping centres but some good points made about so many having the same shops as everywhere else and that more leisure facilities would attract more people. Not much scope for that here but out of town complexes could be more successful with a ski slope or skating rink.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-45707529howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
A planning application has been lodged for change of use, the former Vane's bakery to become a 24 hour taxi booking office.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
yep county taxis are having an office there.
Guest 1467- Registered: 30 Jan 2015
- Posts: 149
Apparently, they finished all the building work inside before the planning application even went it!
Do we really need another taxi rank anyway??
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
not many taxi offices left lew. only 3 that I can think of.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,018
Probably a good move nearer St James area .