Agenda and minutes

1a.   Apologies

1b.  Matters arising from last meeting

Amanda Lumley, Regeneration and Project Manager, KCC, will discuss the Sea Change programme which aims to drive cultural and creative regeneration and economic growth in Dover.

Amanda Lumley, KCC’s Regeneration and Project Manager introduced herself and her colleague, Dave Hughes and then went on to describe Make Dover, the Sea Change programme in Dover. 

Sea Change is a three year funding programme set up by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport that aims to kick start wider economic regeneration in coastal areas through specific investment in culture and heritage.  The programme is being led by CABE (the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment)who seek to use the Sea Change programme as a driver for cultural and creative regeneration in seaside towns by funding inspiring, creative and innovative projects, bringing a sense of pride, enjoyment and celebration.  By attracting additional funding, it is hoped that Sea Change projects will act as catalysts for further economic regeneration in the towns, bringing in new visitors and revenue and giving the local residents a new cultural heart and a renewed pride in the community.  The key criterion in choosing the coastal resorts is that they are areas of social and economic deprivation in need of regeneration. 

Dover was invited to apply for this funding and was one of only three successful seaside resorts to be awarded a grant (the other two were Blackpool and Torbay).  The bid was put together with Dover Pride and based on the Dover Masterplan, highlighting Dover’s historical, archaeological, cultural and strategic importance as a port. 

There is £7.75m available for this project, 50% of this funding has been from the Sea Change programme, the rest from partners who include;  Kent County Council, Dover District Council, Dover Harbour Board, English Heritage, SEEDA.

The Sea Change programme is all about making cultural connections.  It is hoped that by working with English Heritage and using outreach and other ‘bridge building’ cultural projects, e.g. festivals, and events, it will help the Castle connect with the town and sea front better.  A recent event Here and Now held at the Dover Discovery Centre during August by Dover Arts Development was very successful and included drawing, dance and food workshops.  The High Speed Rail link will also provide opportunities for Dover as cultural regeneration will attract visitors and employment and encourage people to move out from London to Dover.  And by looking at existing businesses the programme can connect with what’s going well at the moment and build on this success.

Projects that are specifically being looked at are;

·        Castle refurbishment.  Working with English Heritage improvements will include refurbishment of the Great Tower, a new admissions and visitors centre and improvement to the secret wartime tunnels.

·        Esplanade.  This will refresh and improve the new sea front connecting the new Sea Sports Centre and harbour area with the town.  Architects Tonkin Liu won the recent national seafront design competition which will make the area more accessible and vibrant.  As funding needs to be spent by March 2010 this project is being fast tracked, plans have been submitted and it is hoped the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Nadeem Aziz, Chief Executive, will talk about what projects are in the pipeline and

what impact this regeneration will have on Dover.

Nadeem Aziz, Chief Executive described the aims and aspirations that DDC has for its local communities when developing its regeneration vision.  The Local Development Framework shapes the regenerative work being undertaken and acts as a backdrop to this.  DDC is a firm advocate of growth and providing good housing and employment opportunities to create sustainable communities. 

Currently two-thirds of the employees from the two largest employers in the area, Pfizer and the Port of Dover, commute from outside the district.  This means that the economic benefits are taken out of Dover.  But a combination of good quality housing and good transport links, e.g. the High Speed rail link will draw people to the area, and at the same time will address any demographic imbalances.  Other projects include the Sea Sports Centre, White Cliffs Business Park, Connaught Barracks, Morrisons, Dover Gateway and Dover Priory.  However, some regeneration brings about changes that are controversial, e.g. the Big Screen, but local issues and events could use this facility and it could provide a springboard for Dover having the Olympic Torch.  The hope is that Dover residents will continue to support the regeneration initiatives to keep driving Dover’s prosperity forward.

Sarah Lang, Programme Officer, will be speaking about the empty shops in the High Street.

Sarah Lang, Programme Officer described the partnership’s work to commission large scale images to be used on empty shop windows and hoardings while regeneration takes place in Dover over the next few years.  Images were shown of work completed already, transforming the appearance of areas such as the Indoor Market that has been empty for 15 years.  The project is aiming to uplift blight spots and create a better local environment.  Dover has an empty shop rate of 16%, which is comparatively good to the rest of the county, for example Margate has 25%.  Jonathan Wright and Edda Jones have been commissioned to work on the ‘Dover Visuals’ project and produce images that can be used as artwork in shop windows and they will be working with Dover Pride to install this artwork while areas are undergoing development.

§         Why can’t DDC’s Planning Committee be more flexible with new developments?  Nadeem Aziz commented that sometimes planning mistakes have been made, for example Tesco at Whitfield had taken 50% of the retail spend away from Dover and a food retail anchor was now needed in the town.  The Sea Change regeneration has specific criteria attached to it for projects that would not be affordable if DDC were to go it alone.  Partnerships such as this are essential for the scale of regeneration required.  It is important for the people of Dover to be positive about this regeneration and realize there can be constraints imposed upon planners who have to balance European and National legislation when making their decisions.

§         Are there safeguards in place for local people to secure employment with the new contracts that this regeneration will attract? DDC can require major house builders to encourage local apprenticeships, but they cannot override National and European legislation.

§         What money is available to protect heritage and conserve existing architecture?  If money were made available to homeowners they could renovate listed buildings and make them more attractive. Plus some areas in Dover need cleaning up.  In past years similar schemes have been in place but the take up has been very poor.  This illustrates the problem, which is a combination of the community taking responsibility for its environment and the inability to spend on renovation when average earnings in Dover are below the SE average.  The English Heritage projects will renovate our historical assets and make them work for their living.  DDC is also in the process of procuring a new cleaning contractor which may solve some of the littering, but with increased aspiration in the local community from regeneration, this may resolve itself

§         When are the proposals for the seafront going to the Planning Committee?  Amanda Lumley confirmed this would be 22 October 2009.  The Dover Harbour Board is working closely with the designers to ensure the sustainability of the proposals.

§         The historical attractions are not linked up so how will visitors get around without a car?  There are talks currently taking place between the National Trust and English Heritage to provide a footway between Bleriot and White Cliffs.  Linkages are being explored but landowners will have to agree to any proposals put forward.

§         There could be better signage around Dover to enable people to navigate between attractions, perhaps looking to Sandwich as an example.  The Town Council is looking into this and is encouraging Stagecoach to move some of the existing bus stops, plus providing a subsidy for an open top bus.

§         There is no bus service from the Market Square to the sea front and the underpass is unpleasant.  The 15A is an hourly bus service that covers this area.

§         What happens after the money runs out in two to three years?  The Make Dover partnership will use Sea Change projects as a catalyst to attract additional funding.

§         Is there a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

§         The Western Docks area is an eyesore and the first thing visitors from abroad see.  DHB are submitting a revision order for Terminal 2 and soon full details will be available for residents to comment on.

§         Will buses connect the historic sites?  Will there be new shops on the Esplanade?  DDC are looking into this for environmental reasons as well as providing good links because the use of the car is not sustainable, creating poor air quality, etc.  A rapid transit system, similar to the one at Bluewater is being investigated. The Sea Sports Centre will have a restaurant and the existing kiosks will be smartened up.

§         Why was a tunnel not built for lorries to get to the port?  A road was cheaper and there were only three protesters 20 years ago.  Dover handles 10,000 trucks a day and this number is growing.  There is a need for better signage along the A2 and addressing the issue of increasing congestion in and around Dover.

§         Why has the area of the Crypt where a restaurant was burnt down remained vacant for 20 years?  The land is owned by a developer and DDC does not have enough money to impose a Compulsory Purchase Order.  It needs a combination of developers with commercially viable schemes and a CPO.

§         Why doesn’t Dover have a ring road?  When the A20/M20 extension was undertaken it was generally considered that Eurotunnel would result in the port’s demise.  But consolidated port business has had the opposite effect.  This also needs political will and money as a scheme this size could cost up to £500m.

§         Why isn’t Sea Change funding being used to restore the Victoria Fountains?  Because this funding has strict criteria and projects needs to meet these.

Emma Carey, KCC Community Liaison Manager reported the two funding streams that are still available through local County Councillors; the Member Community Grant which is available throughout the financial year and the Local Schemes Grant which has a closing date of 30 October 2009.  Please contact Emma on 01622 694599 for more information.

The Dover A20 Action Group will be featured on BBC One’s Inside Out programme on 12 October at 7.30pm.  It will focus on marine pollution.

Suggestions from the community

None suggested.

The meeting ended at 8.45pm