Working Together to Promote the Spirit of Deal.
- 21 April 2009 08:4019875
JOINT PRESS RELEASE FROM:
DEAL TOWN COUNCIL/DEAL CHAMBER OF TRADE/DOVER DISTRICT COUNCIL
WORKING TOGETHER TO PROMOTE THE SPIRIT OF DEAL
Deal and Walmer Chamber of Trade, Deal Town Council and Dover District Council continue to work together to create an innovative new package of measures to reduce the impact of recession in Deal and to promote the town and the unique 'Spirit of Deal'.
From 1 May this year, parking charges for Middle Street, Union Road, Stanhope Road and St George's Car Parks will stop from 4 pm. This will enable shoppers and visitors to park for free and use the fantastic range of attractions and businesses that Deal has to offer. This temporary measure is being funded from the national temporary reduction of VAT. For Deal this means that the reduction in hours can be funded through to October in the named car parks.
Another part of the package of support will be the promotion of Deal's excellent arts scene through displays in empty shops, focusing on the centre of Deal, which is being taken forward by The Best of Deal, Dover and Sandwich, and Loose Cannon Arts. The Best of Deal is also running a networking evening with a focus on tourism in Deal on 29 April.
This also runs alongside the many events being arranged by a wide range of partners in the community throughout the year, including the Deal Folk Festival from 18-20 September, Deal Regatta Week from 25-31 July, the Deal Festival of Music and the Arts from 4-19 July, and a range of entertainments being organized for the Beach Street performance area, the town centre and the seafront.
DDC continues to work in partnership with a wide range of agencies to provide help and support to businesses and residents in the current economic climate.
Peter Varrall, Chairman of the Deal and Walmer Chamber of Trade said: "I am extremely pleased with the way various bodies have come together to work for the benefit of Deal and surrounding areas under the 'Spirit of Deal' banner."
Cllr Bill Gardner, Mayor of Deal, said: "This idea sounds wonderful and I hope it will really smarten up the High Street. There is nothing worse than looking at empty boarded up shops."
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Penny Bearman, Chairman of Loose Cannon and curator of the Spirit of Deal art in shops initiative, said: "Spirit of Deal is a brilliant opportunity to use the talents of local artists to showcase the attractions of Deal. The project will illustrate the many qualities of Deal through the eyes of the artists who live here. And it will help regenerate the town centre and enhance the attractiveness of the High Street."
Cllr Kit Smith, DDC Cabinet Member for External Relations said: "We welcome this wide agreement to re-ignite the 'Spirit of Deal'. The business community, local Councils and others working together for the good of Deal and Walmer shows how ideas and opportunities can be joined-up to make a real difference to get us through these difficult times."
- ends -email: dover7@msn.com - 21 April 2009 15:2319897This looks like a bit of joined up thinking in Deal. Overall harmonising between shops and parking, and a general improvement in pizzazz by doing something of artistic flair to enhance the appearance of the local closed shops. It all sounds good, and the FREE parking from 4pm on the 1st of may in those carparks will go down a treat. I hope Im reading that right...FREE parking from the 1st May onwards at those 4 carparks mentioned.
Isnt this something Ben Bano Labour Leader has been banging on about in the papers...well Ben is a member here but so far a quiet one. let us know what you think about this one Ben....the Conservatives appear to have come up with the goods.
So the reduction in VAT was a winner afterall...as its paying for all this.
email: dover7@msn.com - 21 April 2009 19:4419911not very impressed paul, the shops shut at around 5 pm like they do in dover.
i seem to remember that mr beano did raise the subject of parking charges via the press, but,more importantly, not in the council chamber when the budget was being set.
if i am wrong on this, i will apologise fulsomely. - Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,696
21 April 2009 19:4819914Shame they cannot get heir act together and do this in Dover
Or is that because none of the leading clique actually live here so they do not really care?"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi - 21 April 2009 20:5719921
- 21 April 2009 21:2119923Just to let you know this has been brought up time and time again in the Council Chamber and I Nigel is fed up with it,I was at the meeting with Deal Traders when Ben Bano and Gwyn couldn't make it,they are angry,as I understand it there was an offer made to Deal Chamber of Commerce and they accepted it,I understand that an offer hasor was made to the Dover Chamber and as I understand it they have not as yet replied,but I am sure Barry will up date.
The funniest thing was that two of the people at the meeting were both Tory Cllrs and they wanted their Cllrs strung up,one was Roger Rook but in the Council Chamber the person that spoke against reducing the charges was Cllr Julie Rook,Roger Rook's Sister-in-law i believeIf you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble! - 21 April 2009 22:0219927is this the same julie rook that maintains she is in control of the anti social behavour unit.?
should this be the case, then i am not surprised by the decision making. - 24 April 2009 13:0720073I know 'The Spirit of Deal' has only just been launched (terrific idea, by the way), but when is this going to start actually happening? Are we going to see some major artistic sprucing up of the blighted buildings of Deal very soon? Will we be kept informed, PR-wise? And can Dover follow suit? I hope so.
I've seen in the Mercury the photo opportunity by the pier and the grinning people with the placard and the yadda-yadda-yadda, but eagerly await the artistic reawakening of the empty buildings.
We have quite enough empty premises. Let's not follow these with empty promises.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/apr/23/artists-take-over-empty-shops - 25 April 2009 08:0720102That publication was similar to the one I received about promoting Deal - reproduced below, but the one below is about organised events to help local business; part-funded/supported and organised by DDC/Deal Town Council and Deal and Walmer Chamber of Trade.
"A GREAT DEAL TO ENTERTAIN AT SEAFRONT PERFORMANCE AREA
A fun packed programme of events has been lined up to entertain the whole family at the Beach Street outside performance area in Deal.
This follows news of the launch of the Spirit of Deal initiative, as Deal and Walmer Chamber of Trade, Deal Town Council and Dover District Council continue to work together to create an innovative package of measures to promote the town.
Dover District Council has booked a wide range of entertainment for the performance area on a number of Sundays from April through to September from 3-5pm. Performers are: acclaimed international mime artist 'Brendan' on 26 April; African Drummers on 17 May; steel band Faze 3 on 14 June; flamenco guitarist 'Ramon' on 12 July; the Kaniki Limbo Show on 9 August; and 'Rhubarb the Entertainer' on 13 September.
Local pubs are also using the area to provide a range of live music on certain weekends or Bank Holidays, which is being coordinated through the DDC Events Group, subject to ongoing sound monitoring. The performance area and a range of works were completed in 2007 to promote café culture in the area, funded by DDC, with support from East Kent Partnership and Deal Town Council.
This will run alongside the many events being arranged by a range of partners throughout the town this summer. This includes entertainments in the town centre and on the seafront as part of the 'Summer of Fun' organized by the Deal and Walmer Chamber of Trade, supported by Deal Town Council, on Saturdays from 8-29 August."
This is great for Deal and well done to everyone for organising/supporting and funding it.
But, as someone said above, what about Dover ?
I know we have the Bleriot week-end on 25/26 July and the Regatta, then later, there's the open-air film-show in Connaught Park, all teh other events in Dover are Community events.
As I'm not on the Events Committee at DDC, I have written to them and DTC, asking what (other) events are being organised jointly to bring people into Dover.
Roger - 25 April 2009 08:1420104Thanks Andrew for that link, makes very sensible reading and although I'm not an arty person, I know that the value of art can be a great boon to both people and Towns.
That Guardian article was like a breath of fresh air; one of the most important things in it, was that the premises used by these artists, are the first to be let, as the prospective shop-keepers know those shops already have an interest and of course are already clean and tidy too.
We have plenty of shops this could apply to, here in Dover and of course it would brighten up the closed shops and the Town.
Roger