Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
11 August 2010
22:2765047There is an interesting comment from Jeremy Cope in this month's Dover Society newsletter
"... following last issue's report we have received a response from Dover District Council on the use of powers available to them to enforce repair orders upon owners of neglected properties. The Council are trialling a scheme with three properties, regretfully none of which are in Dover. If successful the intention is, we understand, to 'roll out their use across the district'. This will of course include Dover Town as this is the centre of our regeneration aspirations."
Dover more than other areas is run down and needs its buildings to look cared for and not neglected....
.... conservation area status restricted he use allowed and imposed costs that rendered a conversion to charitable housing impracticable... the cost of new build is two thirds of the cost of restoration and conversion.... I came away with the depressing thought tht Dover will end up destroying much of its character because of poor regulation and a lack of money.... Looking at both issues Dover runs the risk of being regenerated but end up losing much of the buildings that give it its character and uniqueness ...
We have now started on a survey of our listed buildings and conservation areas.... surveyors impressed by the underlying quality of much of the building and examples of care and pride, but depressed by the grotty......
There is also a well written, shorter piece entitled "A Young Person's View of Dover" by Denise Lee, a few extracts are:
"What do you think about Dover? Well I think that Dover needs a lot more work put into it. Dover is unclean and untidy. Dover is meant to be a historic and touristic town, so let's take pride in it... more colourful with no rubbish... more attractive colourful flowers around the town... plants should be full.. could be helped by people who are out of work.... some of the old historic buildings and old shops need to be cleaned, tidied up and painted... those sentenced to community service made to do the clearing up, tidying and watering.... shops that sell what people want... a proper hospital and a bowling alley... more police on foot patrol... with a little effort we can all make Dover a nicer place to live in...
---------------- all very pertinent remarks in my opinion----------------
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
12 August 2010
07:2165059Sorry to sound like a broken record, but all of those things (and many more too) I was working on as Dover Business Support Manager - and achieving a good measure of success.
Has anyone heard anything at all from Dover Business Support since Spencer took over ?
I'm not having a grumble at Spencer, I've never met him, but he is not allowed to write articles for DBS in the local papers and this is so crucial - the oxygen of publicity is a lifeline for this type of body.
I was steadfastly refused the opportunity to write articles in any paper when I was DBS Manager, in fact the Strategic Director at the Chamber of Commerce emphasised the fact that he would not ask the Board to allow me to write them - he was smiling saying "what do you think of that then ?" Shortly before he sacked me.
Not a sensible strategy I'd say.
As a member of the Dover Society, I sit with others on a committee to help smarten up the Town: so much to do that should be the job and purpose, of Dover Business Support.
Roger
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,024
12 August 2010
08:5465073There is work in progress re using the Community Pay Back Team .With reference to the litter problem see a previous thread of mine .Its the people .There are too many fast food shops and takeaways .Rubbish is just dumped .
So many people walking around with food in their hands munching away .
Guest 686- Registered: 5 May 2009
- Posts: 556
12 August 2010
09:1365078Not only food Sue, but bottles of various sorts too! The rubbish situation isn't exactly helped by the huge population of seagulls that rip apart rubbish sacks on bin days either.
Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!!
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
12 August 2010
10:1265088I believe the Council are going to introduce different containers for waste collections, including some which will be inaccessible to seagulls ??
Yes, it is the people dropping litter who cause a lot of the problems.
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
12 August 2010
10:3065093I have been saying this for ages. A good wash would do some of our buildings no end of good. This would happen if more people had some pride in the town. I had cause to be trundled round the town in an ambulance (don't ask) on Tuesday, and I thought that actually some parts of the town are quite attractive. Coming along Barton Road, with the Castle on the hill, the wide road, and the houses and gardens all looking cared for, you could believe you were in any county town. However, the "centre" such as it is, is dirty and downtrodden. I think partly this is because we do not actually have an identifiable centre any more.
When municipal buildings are filthy (I always bang on about the Magistrates' Court) how can you expect anything better from anyone else? River, Elms Vale, Temple Ewell, Kearsney Abbey, Bushy Ruff, etc are all beautiful places. London Road has many interesting and quirky little shops but unfortunately the overall
look is grotty. It really only needs every freeholder to do his or her bit towards keeping their property looking good. Cleanliness and tidyness do not cost that much!!
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
12 August 2010
10:4265100How about one just for seagulls, collect that is
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
12 August 2010
10:4465101I seem to remember 'in the old days' when I was a bit younger, shopkeepers took a pride in the pavements and forecourts outside their shops, you would regularly see them swilling and scrubbing them to keep them sparkling clean. And wash down their shop fronts, and paintwork. I wonder where people's pride has all gone?
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
12 August 2010
10:4965102Diana
Well said.Hope your sightseeing tour in the ambulance was none too serious.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 684- Registered: 26 Feb 2009
- Posts: 635
12 August 2010
12:0165116Hear hear, Kath. And hear hear the younger person's view of Dover, echoing the things we all agree on:
"A Young Person's View of Dover" by Denise Lee: "What do you think about Dover? Well I think that Dover needs a lot more work put into it. Dover is unclean and untidy. Dover is meant to be a historic and touristic town, so let's take pride in it... more colourful with no rubbish... more attractive colourful flowers around the town... plants should be full.. could be helped by people who are out of work.... some of the old historic buildings and old shops need to be cleaned, tidied up and painted... those sentenced to community service made to do the clearing up, tidying and watering.... shops that sell what people want... a proper hospital and a bowling alley... more police on foot patrol... with a little effort we can all make Dover a nicer place to live in..."
The town centre should remain the absolute 100 per cent unswerving focal point for massive regeneration, restoration of old buildings and tarting up of empty eyesores. In fact as know it needs a general and major sorting out and a wholesale and sustained clean-up.
We Dovorians are sick to the back teeth with feeling ashamed of the state of the place. It's alarming.
12 August 2010
18:4065214Me and Mel had a walk down London road yesterday from The Cherry tree down into town so many empty shops , shouldnt the council look in to sorting it out ?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
12 August 2010
18:4365217not much the council can do, high streets all over the country have the same problem.
internet shopping does not help, i think in the future most of those shops will be converted into homes.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,835
12 August 2010
18:4465219Diana...
I could not agree more about the very tatty state of some shops and agree the freeholder should be made to give them a lick of paint. It would be a good idea for DDC or DTC to contact them but I think they would be wasting their time.
I very much doubt whether some of those freeholders have ever even seen their properties, apart from some sales brochure when rhey bought the building. All they want are their high rents paid and blow the state of the building.
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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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Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
12 August 2010
18:4565220evan thats going down hill now howard.
12 August 2010
18:4665221True Howard Im sure are new mp has many great ideas to regenerate Dover . i would love to here them .
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,835
12 August 2010
18:4765222Mark and Howard...
The council could always grant change of use to housing rather than have empty shops. This would condense the shopping area as I have said before.
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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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Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
12 August 2010
19:5265232I'm sure it will happen all over the country, shops reverting back to their origins or becoming housing, the same happened to our previous offices ie London Road (Greengrocers) & Folkestone Road (Double Glazing). Much better than empty shops
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
12 August 2010
20:3965238jan
i made that point in post 12, eventually many end of high streets will be residential, local authorities will have no problems with this.
the world is changing, shopping is now mainly out of town in some soulless ring road or bypass or on the net.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,835
12 August 2010
21:1065246Sorry Howard I missed your post
. My daughter's partner was rabbiting on about his new camera
, at the same tiome as I was reading this thread.
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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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13 August 2010
00:3765286In the good old days, dustmen would pick up a dustbin and empty the contents in to a dustcart. For some reason we appear to have weaker refuse collectors as they can only manage plastic bags.
A return to using dustbins may put an end to the seagull (and fox) problem.