Dover Big Local

Dover Big Local
Profile
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Where are we now?
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Local Trust – Big Local
What is Big Local?
 Big Local is an exciting opportunity for residents in 150 areas
around England to use at least £1m to make a massive and
lasting positive difference to their communities. It’s about
bringing together all the local talent, ambitions, skills and
energy from individuals, groups and organisations who want
to make their area an even better place to live.
 Big Local is being run by Local Trust, which is working with
the Big Lottery Fund and a range of partners providing expert
advice and support for residents.
What’s it not about?
 It’s NOT about the government or a national organisation
telling you what to do.
 It’s NOT about individual groups fixing their favourite problem
without talking to a wide range of different people who live
and work in the community.
 It’s NOT about short-term thinking – you’ve got 10 years or
more to plan and deliver the best options for your local area
Why Dover Big Local?
Most people in the UK and abroad know Dover as the ‘Gateway to
England’ but very few venture into the town as they pass through.
On the face of it Dover seems a tourist destination with its sprawling hilltop castle and magnificent white cliffs. The port is now the busiest in the
world with its cruise ships and ferries. Its strategic position has given
Dover some 2000 years of history as a military defence. Surrounded by
beautiful countryside and glimpses of the French coast on a clear day it
has the potential to entice.
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However Dover town itself is a disappointment to many – visitors and
townsfolk alike.
The town is cut off from its smart seafront and glorious backdrop by a
busy dual carriageway transporting port traffic. A subway which
connects the two areas shows the contrast between investment in,
economic regeneration and a town that has been in decline for some
time. Exacerbated by outside perceptions of economic migration and
smuggling, Dover has a challenge on its hands.
The town itself defines the Big Local area where there are the highest
concentrations of deprivation. Savaged by war-time bombings ‘Hell Fire
Corner’, many of the old buildings have been replaced by 1950’s 1960’s
quick build flats and shops which sometimes have low architectural
value and are difficult to keep in a good state of repair.
This Big Local area has suffered years of a lack of investment. In line
with other coastal towns Dover has high unemployment, empty boarded
up shops and anti-social behaviour issues. The decline of traditional
industries, loss of the duty-free day tripper market, closure of significant
manufacturing employers such as the engineering works and the paper
mill and the closure of two former barracks have left the town with a lack
of purpose. Aspirations are low and there is a resigned sense that things
will not improve. In short Dover feels as though it has been forgotten.
More than anything there is real lack of community ‘feel’ within the town.
Housing is largely on the periphery in quite isolated communities amidst
the valleys and hills. Yet locals do often have a sense of being Dovorian.
The town centre has little to draw people in as there are few leisure
opportunities other than restaurants and pubs and the sports centre.
There are various optimistic Local Authority regeneration strategies for
the area including plans for a 6 screen cinema complex with adjoining
restaurants which is just the beginning of a wider investment including
retail, hotel and residential development.
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Dover Big Local area
The area encompasses the main part of the town which includes a long
‘snake like’ high street which follows the river Dour. There are
commercial properties, public sector buildings such as schools, colleges
the Job Centre etc, a leisure centre and a park.
Dover is ranked 5th most deprived district in the SE region yet has
received very little funding for the town itself despite local bids to the
National Lottery and elsewhere.
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The Portas Pilot Bid June 2012
The Town Team with endorsement from the local MP, Councillors and
others, put together a bid for plans which would have included the
creation of a trail from the docks, cruise terminal and castle into the
town which would be branded with the Dover bluebird. Other plans
included a revived town market every Tuesday, staging of community
events in the town and Pencester Gardens, reduced parking charges
and a new town team hub. Unfortunately this was unsuccessful
although the will is still there. Ideas such as the market have been
taken up by Dover Town team but would benefit from funding for
start-up traders and promotion.
www.thisiskent.co.uk/new-support-Portas-pilot-cash-bid-dover
There is a lack of community facilities in the town throughout the day
and evening giving little opportunity for people to interact. Transport
and low car use is a barrier to some who would potentially use the
town. Although it has a variety of shops Dover does not match the
range and quality of other towns nearby where people tend to go.
Pencester Gardens is a park in the centre of town with a skatepark and
bandstand. Apart from a youth centre within the college and the
skatepark there is little to attract young people who tend to gather in
groups and are prone to low level anti-social behaviour – perceived or
otherwise, although the adjacent dance school is well utilised by
children and young people.
Dover people
There are around 7,000 residents in the Big local area as well as many
stakeholders who work and have an interest in the future of the town.
The percentage increase of 6.8% rise in population over the past ten
years is on the low side. Despite the attraction of a high speed train
people from outside are not seeing the potential Dover has whereas,
inward migration is prevalent from other areas of Kent due to the
relatively cheap properties and availability of affordable flats.
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The population consists of predominantly white British (95.9%) and
White non- British (2.7%). The percentage of BME is the lowest in Kent.
There is a higher percentage of over 50’s than average with fewer
people of working age than the regional average. This implies that
working age Dovorians are moving away from the area.
Dover, similar to many port towns has seen a rise in European migration
over the years, that has resulted in a partly transient community. Many
Polish and Czech migrants have settled and integrated into the
community setting up their own businesses particularly in retail and
hospitality and catering. However, there is a larger transient community
in certain parts of the town which causes some issues around
community cohesion and a perceived loss of identity.
Although many people feel sceptical about the future of Dover there is a
huge amount of pride and a willingness to defend their heritage and see
the town brought back to its rightful glory.
Community
History
One of the central features of Dover is its history and there are many
groups in and around the town that are keen to preserve and promote
their heritage including The Dover Society, the Western Heights
Preservation Society and the Friends of Dover Castle. In Dover itself
there is The Roman Painted House, which was an archaeological find
back in 1972 and is open to the public, the remains of St James church
built in 1070, an 800 year old town hall. Dover museum has a wealth of
Saxon and Roman artefacts as well as a bronze age boat.
Clubs, Pubs and Social Media
There are lively and popular social media forums such as Dover History
Pages and Dover for Dovorians on Facebook and Twitter with a fast
growing membership.
There is a variety of long established societies and clubs such as the
Rotary Club, the Oddfellows, the 69 Motorcycle club, the Dover Society
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and some reflecting the town’s military past such as the Royal Artillery
Association and the Royal Tank Regiment Association.
Some of the older pubs such as the Louis Armstrong have had a long
time following of music lovers as it has been the venue for many budding
and established musicians over the years. The White Horse near the
seafront has a long standing tradition with channel swimmers of them
recording their achievement by writing on its walls
Associations and forums
There are a wide variety of associations such as Guides, Brownies,
Cubs, Scouts, Sea Cadets and Air Cadets. Voluntary groups include the
River Dour Steering Group and The Priory Station Environment Group
as well as The London Road Community Forum, Dover Community
Association, the Disability Forum, Senior Citizens Forum, The
Community Board, Employment and Training Forum etc.
Venues
Dover does not have a community centre as such but locations where
ad-hoc activities take place such as the Town hall, which is a grand old
building in the heart of the Big Local area, the Roundhouse Theatre in
the Discovery Centre and a large number of church halls. The Dover
Community Association (Reg. Charity, Est 1969) is in the process of
securing Biggin Hall from the District Council with the potential to make it
a hub for many groups together with a temporary use of The Beach,
which is an empty shop in the town centre.
What Dover town is most lacking is the facilities to provide a sense of
community. People come into the town sporadically for a need rather
than for leisure or enjoyment. Although there are many groups they tend
to be self contained and disparate in nature and it is not until there is an
event such as the Christmas lights switch on where the town is buzzing
that one realises the potential for community involvement.
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Local Economy
Dover once had a wealth of industries, particularly those that fed off the
River Dour such as mills, breweries and foundries. For much of the 20th
century this decline gathered pace with the closure of the barracks, the
coalfields in the1990’s, the ongoing rationalisation of port related
employment and more recently Pfizer, a major pharmaceutical company
and a large employer for the area also pulled out of the district.
Retail
Dover has a very long High street and similar to other towns major
shops have been disappearing to be replaced by charity, gambling and
pay day loan shops or left empty. However, there is still a healthy mix of
banks, solicitors, accountants, estate agents, cafes and other food
outlets alongside offices within the town.
On the periphery of our area there is a relatively modern development of
supermarket stores including a Morrisons, Asda and Pets at Home,
offering free parking. This, however, is quite divorced from the rest of
the town even though it is near the high street. People tend to drive to
get their groceries and leave.
The Charlton Centre which connects this commercial development to the
High street was built in 1981 and for many years a popular shopping
mall but now has problems filling its retail units. The first floor houses
the Charlton Art Centre which contains small workshop units and gallery
space. There is currently a boot/craft fair on a Saturday and Sunday in
the mall’s car-park area. Although the Centre could potentially be in an
ideal position it is out of the public’s radar due to poor signage.
London Road is a vibrant mix of small independent shops but because
of the distance from the main town centre has become a community on
its own. Cheaper rents make this an ideal area for start- up shops.
There are various industrial parks at the periphery of the town but in
general Dover itself looks and feels neglected. A Tuesday market has
been initiated recently by the Town Team to help boost trade and Dover
District Council has made available free parking on that day to support
the initiative.
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The Port and Tourism
Dover is still heavily reliant on the Port for employment although job
security is no longer there with many of these jobs now part-time and
casual ‘zero hour’ contracts.
Tourism should be a major economic driver for Dover but the attractions
such as the Castle (with 400,000 visitors a year) are disconnected from
the town itself. For those who rely on public transport, the cliffs and the
castle can be difficult to access. There is no natural link into the town
and so Dover residents do not always benefit directly from the large
numbers of cruise passengers who tend to by-pass the town and head
straight for the castle or Canterbury. Or from the 7 million who use the
ferries.
Skills and Employment
Skills levels are poor compared with the South East average, with
around 35% in the poorest wards having no qualifications at all. Youth
unemployment, although currently dropping, is still high. Twenty nine
percent of nineteen year olds in Castle ward (the key ward in the Big
Local area) were unemployed in 2012. Of all claimants on out of work
benefits around 37% are on jobseekers allowance and 44% claiming
incapacity benefits. Unemployment overall is currently higher than the
national average.
The vast majority of those in active employment in Dover are employed
rather than self employed. Although new businesses are starting up in
Dover along with national trends, there is a huge potential to grow this
sector. This chart shows that of the 70% who are currently in work
(2012) 61.1% are employed and 8.9% self employed.
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This chart shows the number of people aged 16-64 who were claiming
unemployment benefit in Kent in November 2013.
6.00%
5.00%
4.00%
3.00%
2.00%
Percentage
1.00%
0.00%
Qualification levels in Dover
NVQ4 and above
NVQ3 and above
NVQ2 and above
NVQ1 and above
Other qualifications
No qualifications
2%
5%
8%
20%
36%
29%
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Comparison levels within Kent and the South East
100
90
80
70
60
Dover %
50
40
Kent %
30
South East %
20
10
0
NVQ4
NVQ 3
NVQ 2
NVQ1
other
quals
Current Occupation by Percentages.
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
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No quals
Source: ONS Annual population Survey
These are the predicted employment changes looking towards 2026
Sector
2026
Agriculture
Manufacturing
Construction
Distribution, Hotels and Catering
Transport and Communications
Financial and Business services
Government and other services
- 6%
- 21 %
17%
24%
- 11%
37%
11%
(Economic Development framework)
Housing
Dover has a mix of housing due to severe bomb damage during the two
world wars. Older Napoleonic, Georgian, Regency and Victorian houses
sit alongside post war buildings. There are pockets of older traditional
homes next to houses of multiple occupation. Council built and social
rented homes tend to be situated further out of the town although there
are now some new mixed-tenure flats in the town itself.
In the Big Local area there are approximately 55% owner occupiers and
45% in rented accommodation. Of the 45% rented homes around 26%
are Council or Housing Association tenures.
There are more terraced houses and flats than semi detached and
detached houses, which makes Dover unappealing to some looking for
homes in the area. Also, being a deprived area means that there is a
preponderance of poorer quality homes, some of which are lying empty
and a lack of new builds.
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Green Environment
Dover itself sits in a valley in surrounded by an area of outstanding
beauty and heritage status.
Pencester Gardens is the main green space in the town that does have
some recreational area such as a skate park and a children’s play park.
In 2000 the Town Council funded a bandstand to celebrate the
millennium and it is available for public use. The park is used in the
summer for events such as The Armed Forces Weekend and is a
meeting place for college students during summer lunch times but in
general it is a piece of land that people walk through to go elsewhere.
The park is said to be under-used, dirty and without many attractions
such as flower beds. This local resident reflects the views of many.
“This rather sad area of public garden has been neglected over the years and is now really
just the preserve of skateboarders and drunks. As a Dover resident I have to say it is a sad
reflection on the town. Do yourself a favour - go for a walk along our lovely Seafront or visit
the beautiful castle” (Tripadvisor)
The Roman Painted House, which is a tourist attraction within the town,
also provides an area of green space where the newly formed
Community Garden project has started to engage volunteers who are
interested in growing plants and vegetables.
Dover College, a private school is set in the grounds and ruins of the
Priory of St. Martin, which was ransacked by King Henry VIII as part of
his dissolution of the monasteries. Some of the original medieval
buildings remain. This space however is not available to the general
public although the school has open days and events.
Pencester Gardens
Allotments are situated in the Big
Local area and one of these has
recently started up as a
community resource.
The River Dour winds its way
through the town including the college and the park but does not feature
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as predominantly as it could as it is often hidden behind buildings that
back on to it. The River Dour Conservation Group consisting of
volunteers, the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership, the Environment
Agency and with representation from Dover Harbour Board, has been
set up to ensure local people have a say in management policies for the
river as well as helping to ensure the river remains clean and there are
regular clean-up sessions.
Built Environment
Dover suffers from an abundance of derelict and dilapidated buildings.
Many are situated on the road that leads into Dover thereby giving a
poor first impression.
Derelict buildings include Burlington House, a 12 storey office block, a
fire damaged restaurant, a multi storey car-park, an old tax office
amongst others. Many people in the district want to see these
demolished and the Local Authority is constantly on the search for
developers. The failure of previous regeneration projects for this area
has led to a lack of faith in current District Council-led initiatives amongst
residents and business owners.
The ‘No Use Empty’ initiative has been partly successful in restoring
derelict and run down properties such as a three storey building in
London Road that had stood empty for more than four years.
London Road
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London Road refurbishment
Fire damaged derelict building – Bench street
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Burlington House and multi-storey car park.
Community safety
There are ongoing issues concerning anti-social behaviour, particularly
at night. Reports of threatening and intimidating groups hanging around
the town centre resulted recently in a designated dispersal area being
sanctioned by Kent Police in partnership with Dover District Council’s
Community Safety Team.
Many people have reported drinking and drug taking in the park where
needles and broken glass can be a constant danger, particularly to
children who share the public space.
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Health
In 2002 Dover District Council working in partnership with the NHS
secured funding for Project Delta a 5 year Government initiative which
aimed to tackle health inequalities.
The project aimed to address poor health by providing support to people
living in areas of multiple deprivation. Support for these communities
focused on:
• Issues of diet and exercise
• Access to healthier affordable food
• Work with young people who are at risk of drug and alcohol abuse
• Help with accident prevention by providing safety equipment on longterm loan and by assisting with home safety.
• Work experience and training for disadvantaged young people
• Provision of advice on energy efficient grants.
Although there have been health improvements over the past ten years
Dover people are more likely than average for the region and nationally,
to suffer from cancers, heart disease, diabetes, smoking related illness,
low weight babies and teenage pregnancies.
The life expectancy for a male living in the Big Local area is around 5
years lower than those who live in the more affluent areas of Kent.
Dementia is likely to be a growing concern to local families and health
services along with mental health as the welfare reforms take their toll
and job insecurity and debt become more prevalent.
A recent survey undertaken by the Jigsaw Consortium (a partnership of
agencies supporting families) put Housing, Mental health and Domestic
abuse as the top priorities for services in Dover to address.
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Education and skills
There are two colleges and three schools within the defined area. Of the
two colleges one is a private co-ed establishment and the other a further
education college that is currently undergoing a restructure.
There are three primary schools - St Mary’s, Charlton C of E and Barton
Junior and St Edmunds which is a Roman Catholic secondary school.
There is an Adult Education service in the Discovery Centre in the town
that also provides support for those with basic skills needs.
Skillnet is a service designed for those with learning difficulties.
Training establishments include Pitman’s Training which specialises in
office skills courses such as computing, accounting and book-keeping.
The Skills Factory is an Information Advice and Guidance service that
also provides training up to level 2.
Services
As a town this Big Local area has an abundance of services on its
doorstep.
 The Gateway – is a Kent County Council and Dover District
Council one stop shop that provides an umbrella of support
services for residents including housing and benefit advice and
voluntary and community support services
 Porchlight – is a housing support service for those who are
homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
 KCA – is a support service for those with drug or alcohol related
issues.
 Dover Counselling Service – for people needing emotional
support.
 Relate – a relationship support service.
 Citizens Advice Bureau – offering legal and financial advice.
 Coleman House - Mental health /dementia support for adults.
 Health services – 6 GP surgeries and 3 Dental surgeries
 MCCH – Wellbeing and engagement services.
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Dover Foodbank – Crisis support for residents in need.
Kent Police – Crime and disorder
Age UK – provide services for older people
Jobcentre Plus – Employment service
Town Council – includes services such as allotments, recreation
and parks.
The Health Trainer service – An outreach service that provides
one to one support to help residents make positive lifestyle
changes.
Children Centres – Services for families with children under 5
years.
Homestart – Support for young families
Library –situated in a convenient location in the Market square.
The Well Resource Centre – Social and welfare services support.
Youth Services
 The Princes Trust – developing confidence and motivation for
young people not in employment education or training.
 KCFN – providing youth activities, education, support and advice.
 CXK – Information Advice and Guidance for career development.
Other services such as Dover District Council, sit outside the town and
residents rely on transport to reach these.
Transport
There is a network of bus routes connecting the outer lying communities
to Dover town but this is limited. Considering that 20% of people do not
have their own transport this needs to be improved
Busy Port traffic uses dual carriage ways on the outskirts of the town
which can lead to congestion at times and with it added pollution.
Dover has benefitted from a high-speed rail service to and from London
since 2010 but is still awaiting adequate parking facilities that would
allow the economic benefits that this could potentially bring.
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Creative Arts
Dover has always had a strong heritage of artists, musicians and
dramatists and currently this is still a big influence on its culture. There
are two schools in the area that are specialist creative art schools.
Some of the art groups include Dover Arts Development (DAD), an artist
led organisation set up in 2006 to initiate and deliver high quality
contemporary art projects in Dover and Dover District. There is also the
Charlton Art Gallery managed by the White Cliffs Creatives’ Guild, an
artists and makers membership group that has a constant programme of
art and photographic exhibitions. SmART is a project that is fairly new to
Dover and works on a variety of community projects within the town.
There is a healthy mix of drama groups and music initiatives on an
ongoing basis in various venues throughout the town but there is no
dedicated central venue for this burgeoning talent.
Dover’s Cultural Survey and Framework provides a basis on which
cultural projects can develop. Key guiding principles are to promote
existing assets and to enrich rather than bolt on.
Sport and Leisure
Leisure facilities are restricted principally to a small cinema attached to
the museum in the town, although there are now plans ahead for a 6 –
screen cinema complex.
There is one leisure centre that is now quite old but is well used by
lifeguards swimming training, swim school and public sessions and
offers fitness classes racquet sport courts and a fully equipped gym that
is well utilised. Vista Twisters cheer squad based at the centre have
won national awards and has up to 50 child members.
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A gym has recently opened in the town in an old post office sorting area
and there are two dance schools in the big local area plus one adjacent
and various privately run organisations held in venues in the town.
A well used bowling green exists in the centre of town alongside the
river.
As mentioned, there is a skatepark in Pencester Gardens .
Besides this there is very little opportunity for people of all ages to
access sport and leisure facilities. A very good sailing school operates
on the beach but costs are relatively high for low income families.
Regeneration Strategies
Include The Local Development Framework - The Core Strategy
http://www.dover.gov.uk/Planning/Planning-Policy/Local-Development-Framework/CoreStrategy/Home.aspx
The Core Strategy includes some innovative ideas for the regeneration
of Dover town including the development of the Dover Town Investment
Zone (DITZ) which will include a 6-screen cinema, restaurants and retail
units.
The Dover Harbour Board has a created a Port and Community forum
which is looking at ways to develop better links from the Port to the town.
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Where do we want to be?
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What has happened so far?
There have been several public meetings and an interim partnership of
local people has been formed.
The Group launched Dover Big Local with an awareness event at the
Town Hall in May 2013
The purpose of the Interim Partnership is to raise awareness of Dover
Big Local, engage and get people involved. This is not a closed shop
and other residents are welcome to join.
A Community Development Worker was employed in August 2013 to
find out, in consultation with local people, what will make Dover a better
place to live.
Our next steps are to
 Create a Big Local Partnership made up of local residents and
people from organisations involved in the area.
 Develop a local plan using the ideas of residents and stakeholders
 The plan focuses on the priorities for Dover town and once agreed
by The Local Trust the partnership can then draw down funding to
spend on these priorities.
Who decides how to spend the money?
The residents of Dover town do via the Dover Big Local Partnership
Board.
To find out more see our website www.doverbiglocal.org
Our Profile
The aim throughout has been to inform residents and partner agencies
about the opportunities Big Local will bring to the area to raise interest in
developing our community profile, becoming more involved in the
process and to establish what are the key issues for people who live in
the area.
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People from as many sections of the community as possible have been
contacted, talked to and leafleted as part of this process
Dover as a town is quite unique as a Big Local area. It comprises a wide
section of residents and stakeholders such as shop keepers, hoteliers
and other business people, public sector organisations, the voluntary
and community sector, residents of all ages and backgrounds.
The idea has been to capture a sample from as many of these sectors
as possible in the time given. So, these organisations have been
contacted and/or involved
 Residents - approximately 200 have been contacted by leaflet and
door knocking directly. Dover District Council sent out an invitation
to join meetings or attend a visioning event to 4,500 residents who
live in Council properties. We have also been in contact with
residents who attended events that have been held throughout this
time.
 Private Sector – Business people, the Town Team, Hoteliers,
Estate agents etc have all attended meetings and some have been
involved in the Interim Partnership from the start.
 Public Sector – Schools, K College, Health organisations, Children
Centres, Homestart, Housing Associations, KCFN Youth Centre,
Council service centres, Libraries etc
 Voluntary and Community Sector – Disability group, Age UK, The
Rotary Club, Senior Citizen forum , Porchlight (homeless charity)
,Skillnet (support for students with learning difficulties) etc.
(For a full list of organisations that have contributed to the profile please
see Appendix A)
We have organised events to capture people’s views and we have taken
part in existing events and forums such as
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Town Hall Launch event in May 2013
The Armed Forces Day in Pencester Gardens
Western Heights Open Weekend
The Charlton Centre Art Gallery event
Our monthly Dover Big Local public open meetings
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Mental Health Awareness Event
Senior Citizens Forum
Dover Disability Forum
K College Open Day
Christmas Lights switch-on - ‘pop up shop’ event.
Jig saw Consortium (family support services)
New Year New You event
We have set up group sessions with
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3 Children Centres in Dover
2 Homestart groups
Porchlight
Skillnet
Age UK
KCFN Youth HQ
Pitmans Training
MCCH (mental health and wellbeing)
Samphire (Dover Detainee Visitor’s group)
Priory Fields school
St Mary’s School
K College open day
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A Surestart group
The Christmas Lights Pop-Up shop event
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Our map
Those who either are or want to be involved in Dover Big Local include
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Job Centre Plus
K College
Dover Harbour Board
The Gateway (East Kent Services)
KCC Libraries
Health Trainer Service
DAD (art development)
Ace Designs (community arts projects)
Live Heritage (heritage and ecology interpretation projects)
White Cliffs Creative Guild (gallery space and arts workshops)
Community Garden Project
smART (art project)
Maddie and her Melody Makers (music)
TownTV
The Skills Factory
CXK – careers guidance (youth and adults)
Home Instead (care home and dementia awareness)
The Dover Society (history)
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Creative Futures (youth development)
Town Council
Dover Community Association
The Town Team
Dover Hoteliers group
The Princes Trust (youth development)
(For a full list see Appendix A)
Our monthly open meetings
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Methodology
All responses to the survey were taken from post-it notes, written and
verbal suggestions, drawings and focus group notes and transferred to a
spreadsheet.
To make it easier these were divided into subject headings which were
colour coded.
☼Green Environment
☼Sport and Leisure
☼Education /Skills/ Employment
☼Built Environment
☼Community Safety
☼Local Economy/Tourism/History
☼Community
☼Creative Arts
☼Services
☼Communication
What questions were asked?
What do you like about Dover town?
What do you dislike?
What do you think is missing?
What ideas do you have for improving the town?
Not everyone answered every question but overwhelmingly they had
ideas for the area.
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What do Dover people like about the area?
Green environment
The castle
seafront
Parks
Cliffs/western heights
nearness to seafront
Surrounded by lovely countryside/cattle
Beach - good for front and side flips
The environment
Dover's Xmas lights are good
Sports and Leisure
Sports Centre
The Youth Club
Gala Bingo on free nights
Music in Youth HQ
DYC (but it’s not going well)
Museum family days
Skatepark
Built Environment
Town Hall
Foreigners love the architecture(port worker)
Local Economy/Tourism
museum
the weigh inn cafe
nice mix of shops
Dover's History
The town
MacDonalds
X-press Games
Dover better than Canterbury for family interests
Greeters
Community
The people
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Knitting for Charity'
Community spirit
Services
Age concern and its outings
good bus service
shops linked to monitor shop lifting
Easy to get to everything
High speed train
These were the highest scoring ‘likes’ for the area
Castle
Seafront
Near to France
Countryside
Parks
What do people dislike about the area?
Green Environment
Dog mess
Overgrown grassed areas
The walk from seafront to town - depressing
Dirty streets/town
Areas that look like bombsites
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Need to smarten up London Road - rubbish everywhere
Seagulls
Toilets smell/dirty
drab and depressing
Toilets not open at night - people use the streets!
Local Economy/Tourism
Boarded up / empty shops
Too many charity shops
Too many take-aways
Shops lack variety
Parking fees
High Street is too long
Too many Czech/ Polish shops
Services
Flooding outside Hollis Motors
False promises - Economic regeneration
DDC!
Hospital is in the wrong place - not accessible
Where is our MP?
Schools
Councillors don't listen
Sport and Leisure
Nothing for families with small children
Skate-park - too many older kids
Nothing to do
No Parcour area
Carnival is not worth going to
9/10 year olds - nothing to do
Nowhere for young people to go apart from Youth HQ
Community Safety
Drinking and drug taking/ASB
men hanging around children’s area in Pencester
Groups of people in public areas- intimidating
Too many foreign people -force you off the pavement
Toilets at night - unsafe
Young people hanging around
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Thugs in Pencester /feel unsafe
Fear of being beaten up walking through the town
Tramps/beggars
The 8 Bells - people drinking outside all day sets a bad example. Looks bad
Older youths a problem
Town associated with fighting
Thieving/muggings
Not enough police
Subway unsafe
Dispersal Zone - has moved problem to Tower Hamlets
Suffolk House - a danger to young people
Community
Too many migrants
Dover is not a town anymore
Negative people who moan but don't do anything
People coming in from outside - upsets community
Becoming divided - haves and have- nots
Lone parents are stigmatised
Attitude of immigrants
Loss of community - too many transient people
Apathy and lack of aspiration
People with no pride
Isolation
Built Environment
Charlton Centre needs improvement
the old multi-storey car park
The Billboards along Townwall St
The Charlton Centre
The Gateway flats
Bad First impressions for visitors to UK
60's buildings in the Market Square
Burlington House
Other
Disconnection between port and town
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These were the highest scoring ‘dislikes’ for the area.
Boarded up / empty
shops
Dirty streets/town
Dog mess
Drinking and drug
taking/ASB
Nothing to do
too many charity shops
What did people think was missing?
Local economy/Tourism
Men's shops
St James development
things to attract tourists
Nothing to tempt tourists to spend
good shops
No Art shops
Baby shops
Primark
Ice cream parlour
A sit down fish & chip restaurant
Services
Disabled access needs improving
Clean Baby changing facilities
Affordable nurseries
Nursery for under 2's
better bus services in the evenings/Sunday
Transport from Whitfield
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Green environment
A clean town
Community safety
Good policing
Family friendly areas in town
Safe areas at night
CCTV cameras
Community
Get up and go
Things to appeal to all strands of society
No life in the town
A community
Education/Skills/Training
Courses and workshops for employability/Training schemes
Sport and Leisure
Things for young people to do.
Nothing to do for families
Entertainment for all ages
Clubs
Leisure facilities
Things for older people to do.
Teenagers and young adults are forgotten
A casino/cinema
Night club
Family events
Parcour area
Theatre
Cyber cafe for young people
A better skate park
A pool table at Youth HQ
Indoor bowling
Indoor leisure activities (bowling etc)
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Communication
Communication about what is on.
a community venue
These were the highest scoring ‘what is missing’
responses
Things for young people
to do.
communication about
what is on.
courses and workshops
for
employability/Training
schemes
A clean town
Theatre/music venue
good shops
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These were the responses to ‘Any ideas for Improvement?’
Local Economy/Tourism
More stalls in the market
Bring in better shops
Reduce rates/rent for shops
Bring the town back to the 70's! Small shops and indoor market
Have a tea room in the park - ask existing business to run
Promote the market more
Promote 'Best of British' to French
Try a baby shop in empty shop - no rent
Twin Dover to USA Dover (Rotary Clubs?)
Better links with Calais
Run a cafe in the coach park by castle
Tax the trucks coming in and ring-fence the money for Dover town
More history tours for tourists
Market needs to be on longer
A braderie like Deal
Lower the rates for Market stall holders on Saturday
More restaurants and cafes instead of shops.
More affordable markets
Horse and carriage rides
Tourist/Education Centre in Pencester
A Farmers market
Combined tourist ticket (pick and choose) inc food outlets discount
Bring back the French market
A Community shop
A 'Noddy' train in the summer
German Xmas Market in Pencester with ice rink in middle
Library gets cruise passengers in on computers - utilise this.(librarian)
Transport from town to cliffs for tourists
A footbridge across Townwall St to link to town
Expose more of the archaeology in Dover
Use Centurion House for shop units
Promote better shop window displays
DDC to encourage shops in town - not Whitfield
Convert the Charlton Centre to a Business building
Market to Cruise passengers
Information booklet about Dover to all ferry passengers
Make existing attractions more attractive
Develop existing tourist sites
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Services
consult on need for shop-mobility
Do an access audit for disabled and produce a guide
Make Dover breast-feeding friendly
Somewhere for the homeless to go during the day
The 'House' project - joined up services, space for young people
A community bus service with volunteer drivers
Use unemployed for community service
Listening skills training for Councillors
Encourage local firms to employ local people
Better Careers advice
Tie in with Farthingloe/Western heights development (college/jobs)
Make historic sites more accessible - transport
curfew for 9/10 year olds
Green Environment
Additional toddler area in Pencester/improve children's play area
Clean up streets/shops
Keep the river clean
Use the old nursery site at Connaught Park for a Community garden
Have a garden instead of the billboards on Townwall st
Continue with the river idea by the Mill
New Xmas decorations
Improve/make more of Pencester
Cull seagulls
Link the town to the lovely surrounding countryside
create a brighter market sq - flowers, sculptures, art work, murals..
Have a focal point like a big clock in the Market square (Tunbridge wells)
Develop St James sympathetically
Create a community garden in Pencester/Cherry Tree
Temporary gardens on derelict sites
Improve Discovery Centre outside with garden area
involve schools in annual gardening competitions
Designate some spaces as common areas
More bins (and dog bins)
A pavement fountain like Folkestone
More trees and flowers in the town
Community Safety
Park keeper to watch over young children playing in Pencester
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Ban drunks/drug users
More police patrolling town centre
Railings for Pencester Park (safety)
Improve lighting in town
Community
Need places to meet up
Have an empty shop for young people to do up and use
Homework club/leisure area for young people to meet
use food and drink events to integrate communities
A cafe or meeting place for very young parents
have competitions for young people's ideas
The Big Eat - street based.
Intergenerational projects/events
Promote volunteering
Community Centre /multi -purpose venue
Ensure young people are integrated in all activities
More community help for the elderly and homeless
Scout groups to organise street clean ups
More community engagement
projects where people achieve
Projects that are seen through to the end
re-build the community
Focus on the future not the past
Education/Skills/Training
More Skillnet groups
Built environment
Demolish empty/eyesore buildings
Demolish Telecom building
Improve the look of buildings
Make shopkeepers smarten/clean shop fronts (Grants?)
Stop knocking down our nice buildings ie Post Office
Creative Arts
Art exhibitions
arts and drama events
Competition for Artists to create a sculpture in Market Sq
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Get famous musicians/artists to sponsor or promote Dover
Grow the Arts like Margate
Lantern parade using samba music and drumming
More murals like the waste bag one at Whitfield
more paintings on hoardings that depict Dover
Use Art to improve look of empty shops
Music/cultural Arts event
Artists Workshop for Dover's roundabouts
Engage musicians as they travel through Dover
Music Tuition for young people
Develop local musicians
Sport and Leisure
Play areas in Cafes
Invest in entertainment
Make swimming pool and gym cheaper
Affordable or free activities and events
Carnival events that involve different cultures
a better carnival
Indoor play area for young children
Camping event
Games nights
A paint-balling arena
More fairs
Free running/parcour areas
Pool tables etc for young people in HQ
Family Leisure such as ten Pin bowling, Disco, Family nights, older people
nights
Bring the fireworks back - make it affordable or free
Temporary Ice skating in Winter
Permanent Ice skating Rink
Big screen films in the park. Drama, dancing in the park.
More family events in school holidays
Talent competitions and buskers in the town on Saturday
Would use empty shop for children’s area/ afterschool club/play area
A dry ski slope
A climbing wall/indoor games area
St Mary's school sports are could be hired out to community
Hold events when the market is on
Outdoor jazz evenings
Sports taster events for young people in the park/5 a side
Music in the Market Sq/buskers/street entertainment
Music festival/Arts day/Celebration/fiesta
Food stalls/ bands and local artists
Stretch Regatta to a week. Something each day, market, sport, groups
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More use of the bandstand
permanent fun fair
Create a yearly event
Indoor soft play area in St James Development
Community farm
Multi - leisure centre on Russell St car-park
Re-locate / improve the Leisure Centre
Go Karts at old Hoverport
Yoga on the beach
More entertainment - music/theatre
Street music, entertainment
Sport events on the seafront
More leisure facilities for children/young people
more competitive events (prizes)
Events that appeal to all ages
A big event to put Dover on the map
Communication
Better signage
Better communication with social media/newspapers,
A town Crier
Better connection from Marina into town
more 'target' marketing
Other
Look at other coastal resorts - how have they regenerated?
We need a figurehead
(See appendix B for a more detailed breakdown of the feedback).
* NB: please note that these individual comments have been
recorded verbatim and do not necessarily reflect the views of
others.
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These are the highest scoring ideas for improving the area
More leisure facilities
for children/young
people
Better communication
with social
media/nespapers,
Affordable or free
activities and events
Music festival/Arts
day/Celebration/fiesta
Better signage
Reduce rates/rent for
shops
Feedback in percentage under subject headings
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Series1
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A local paper also ran a campaign during the consultation period. The
readers were asked to sum up Dover in one word. More than 800
people contributed. Some were positive but most negative.
(Courtesy Mike Sims - Chief Reporter Dover Express)
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Summary
There was a wealth of diverse comment from Dovorians. Predictably
perhaps, those they ‘like’ chime with what most people like about Dover
such as the castle, the seafront and environment.
Many of the ‘dislikes’ have also been highlighted in previous surveys
particularly issues around community safety, rubbish, dogs mess and
the general look of the town.
The feedback from the ‘ideas for improvement’ is quite diverse but what
is of interest are the ideas particularly around Sport and Leisure,
Creative Arts, Green Environment, Community and Communication, that
can be incorporated into a community development plan. In terms of Big
Local and what we can tackle, many of the ideas could be initiatives that
can be developed and created by locals themselves.
Not all the ideas can be tackled by Big Local and will need to be divided
into
• Those Big Local can take on directly
• Those we can help to influence and work with others
• Those we need to pass on to relevant authorities.
Many of the ideas expressed could help tackle some of Dover’s
underlying issues such as lack of funding opportunities, health and
wellbeing, social cohesion, education, employment skills, isolation and
apathy and could be the catalyst for change.
Asset Based Community Development
Dover already has a wealth of community assets in the form of art
groups, environmental groups, volunteer groups and such that can
be the primary building blocks to create a stronger sustainable
community.
“A growing body of evidence shows that when practitioners begin
with a focus on what communities have (their assets) as opposed to
what they don’t have (their needs) a community’s efficacy in
addressing its own needs increases, as does its capacity to lever in
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external support. It provides healthy community practitioners with a
fresh perspective on building bridges with socially excluded people
and marginalised groups." (Foot and Hopkins, 2010, p6)
Some other ‘Getting Started’ projects
Partnerships
Developing partnerships in the statutory sector has been an
important component to the community development aspect of Big
Local and many organisations have shown an interest in working with
us in the future depending on the key priorities set out in the plan.
Although Dover Big Local cannot replicate statutory services It can in
some instances work alongside others agendas and strategies to
enhance and influence ideas that are already underway or in fruition.
Some of these partnerships include 







Dover District Council
Dover Town Council
Kent County Council
The Town Team
The Dover Harbour Board
Education Business Partnership
East Kent Services
Health Services
Our Successful Local Economy bid
Recently we were pleased to be chosen by the Local Trust to gain
extra support from UnLTD which offers support, training and
workshops in the area to share knowledge and information on
employment and skills and ways to keep money in Dover. To • build better relationships with local and regional agencies and
residents
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• encourage “sticky money” approaches
• boost the local economy
• connect with others doing something similar.
Banners Project
This was one of the first projects initiated under the ‘getting started’
money. A former cinema building, which later became a popular
nightclub has been a derelict site for some time. The plan was to put
up netting to cover the front and place10 banners - five advertising
the Big Local, trying to encourage local people to become involved,
and the other five depicting local tourist attractions.
The supporters include Dover Harbour Board, George Hammond
Shipping, Dover Museum, The White Cliffs Country Tourism
Association, Friends of Dover Castle, the Dover Hotel and Guest
House Group and Castle Street Society member Elizabeth Weaver.
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References
Dover District Council
– Local Development Plan
- Big Local Proposal
- Project DELTA
Kent County Council
- Your Council/facts and figures
- Positive about Our Future: Kent Children and Young People’s Plan
Kent and Medway Public Health Observatory
- Health Inequalities Dover
NOMIS – Official Labour Market Statistics
JobCentre plus – DWP statistics.
Jigsaw Consortium
Dover Express
Dover Harbour Board
Dover for Dovorians – social media
The Dover Society
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