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The Prosser Perspective.... a weekly column from Dover and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser

17 January 2008

In last week’s column I flagged-up the meeting that our delegation from Dover & Deal were preparing for with the new Minister of State for Transport, Rosie Winterton, and I’m using today’s article to report back on our discussions.

We opened the meeting by describing the ambitious development and regeneration program that Dover is embarked upon and emphasised the cross-party support that the proposals had attracted. We acknowledged the importance of the Government’s decision to run the new generation of high speed ‘Bullet’ trains into Dover next year and the progress that’s been made in funding an intermediate term enhancement of ‘Operation Stack’.

The Minister was told about Dover’s plans to grow its economy and the Council’s intentions to build thousands of new houses. We discussed Dover’s application to Government for ‘Growth Point Status’ and the likelihood of building eco friendly and affordable houses in the District.

The regeneration of the town centre and the out-of-town developments like the White Cliffs Business Park will be taking place at the same time as DHB’s expansion of the Port at Western Docks and the creation of new marinas, hotels and public places for leisure.

We explained to Ms Winterton the problems caused by congestion on the approach roads to Dover and the way that HGVs created a wall of steel which cut off the town centre from the seafront and inhibited the movement of people between the two.

We talked about the close synergy between the thrust of Central Government policy and the things Dover wanted to do and said the timing couldn’t be better to seek the Minister’s support for our plans.

She congratulated us on what she described as “Your assiduous lobbying campaign on behalf of your constituents over the years” and she went on to respond to the matters we had raised. She confirmed that the Government had approved the new egress road from Eastern Docks which Dover Harbour Board have been promoting and a discussion took place on the possibilities of linking the town and the seafront with an easy access land bridge across Townwall Street.

Our delegation included two senior Police Officers who briefed the Minister on the problems posed by the inappropriate parking of lorries on local lay-bys.

Her officials said that the provision of additional parking areas and the upgrading of lay-bys could be considered but both would require new funding bids. On congestion they said that traffic management schemes to improve vehicle flows from Aycliffe to Eastern Docks were being considered and reports were awaited.

On the campaign to dual the A2, the Minister reminded us that funding was dependent on the Regional Transport Board prioritising the scheme – and they have not done so. However she agreed that if we obtain Growth Status there could be opportunities to attract an element of private funding from developers for upgrading the A2 without having to wait for the Tory controlled Assembly at Guilford to make Dover a priority – so the campaign continues.