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

2 July 200

Dover is set to become one of the most prosperous towns on the South Coast of England and we are capable of becoming a thriving, lively and popular destination – a place where people want to work, live and play. That’s the exciting vision that drives Dover’s ambitious regeneration plans.

The plans are all doable and the vision is deliverable but only with the goodwill and commitment of all the players and the willingness of all the funding partners to invest in the projects in a timely way.

This is a tall order and the downturn in the economy – nationally and internationally – has not made our task any easier. That’s why I’ve been working with the District Council to make sure all the pieces of this giant jigsaw fit together. Over the last year I have led delegations from Dover to meet Government Ministers in Westminster and in particular we have engaged closely with the Minister for the South East, Jonathan Shaw, who is a good friend and a strong supporter of Dover’s plans.

To pull all the economic strings together I Chaired a summit meeting in the Cruise Liner Terminal on Monday which was overseen by the Minister and attended by all the major stakeholders and there is no bigger stakeholder than Dover Harbour Board (DHB).

DHB is investing a massive £300 million into its Waterfront Regeneration Project which will create and safeguard 2,600 jobs and in addition to port expansion, the scheme will include leisure facilities, a new marina and a prestigious hotel.

Most of the port work could be completed in four years and the town centre regeneration will proceed in parallel. Over £50 million of investment will see the complete redevelopment of the St James’s area headed up by a major retail outlet together with restaurants, a new hotel and a mixed residential development. There will be improved public access to better facilities and it’s forecast to create a further 660 new jobs by the time it’s finished.

These developments alone would need careful management and co-ordination but Dover’s plans are much more ambitious and includes the White Cliffs Business Park, the Mid Town Development, the Connaught Barracks Scheme and the long awaited redevelopment of Buckland Mill – which is now on the starting blocks.

There are other elements being brought forward like Dover’s new Community Hospital, the land bridge, cable cars, projects to raise the local skill base and a whole lot more. And most of these projects will be given extra momentum by taking off in the same year as Dover gets its high speed trains – still scheduled to be whizzing us to London before Christmas.

The Dover Ministerial Summit was a great success with all the partners signing up to pull their weight and make it happen. And the Minister shared our firm belief that the timing and alignment of so many opportunities gave Dover a ‘once in a lifetime’ chance to consolidate our world class port, open up our world class heritage and strive to create a world class town.