History

The Dover Alliance grew out of the desire of ordinary Dover people who not only wished to express their frustrations and concerns with various bodies in Dover, principally the Dover Town Council, but also to do something positive about it, whilst reflecting the aspirations of the people of Dover.  The Alliance is not a party and was formed to ensure that the efforts of the independent candidates were coordinated for the benefit of the town.  There is no Alliance involvement at District Council level, as the Alliance wants to concentrate its best efforts on Dover Town.  The Alliance candidates were from the whole spectrum of social and business involvement in the town and the costs of all works by them was paid for out of their own pockets.

In the spring of 2003 a group of some twenty of the most concerned individuals gathered to form the Dover Alliance.  The guiding principals of that Alliance were set out and agreed upon, with the initial aim of gaining representation on Dover Town Council so that an independent voice could be heard.  Over the following pre-election period a large amount of feedback was obtained from consultation with both Dover residents and business people which showed that the group was genuinely expressing the thoughts of many in the town.

On 1 May 2003 sixteen independent candidates stood for election against eighteen Labour candidates put forward by the local Party, which has been established in the Town Council for the past eight years.  Once the votes had been counted seven independent candidates were elected, with the Alliance having polled 48.3% of the total votes cast in the Town Council election.

However, this still meant that the Alliance candidates are a minority group within the eighteen seats of Dover Town Council and the only way for them to express their opposition is by reasoned argument and debate.

So Where Is The Alliance Now?

The Alliance was born from the need of the people of Dover and was supported by over 7,000 of the electorate.  Those who stood for election to the Council, and other interested persons, suggested that this level of support was worth building on in order to maintain the momentum for change that was built up during the election campaign.

Even though several members of the Alliance are now Town Councillors, the basis of the Alliance is independence of expression, to enable the democratic process to happen in Dover thus the support of the people is still of vital importance.  In business terms, it has been expressed that the Councillors are merely board members representing the shareholders, in this case the people of Dover, and it should be that the will of the shareholders is taken notice of. 

The principles the Alliance seeks to promote are open government, communication with the electorate, empowering several of the already existing bodies and using the knowledge and skills that already exist within the town for the benefit of the town.

Enablement 

In order for the Town Council to be truly effective it needs to encourage involvement from interested parties and demonstrate that involvement can result in positive action.  Consultations which appear to be geared towards a desired result and then from which no changes or acknowledgements arise only lead to frustration.  This frustration leads to a lack of interest and involvement from the townspeople, leading to a rejection of all politics and into a trend of non-voting.  Dover  Alliance would actively seek greater involvement from the town in all aspects of its work.

Group Information 

There are a number of societies within Dover already holding information, knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm critical to the development of the town's potential.  The Alliance acknowledges the importance to Dover that these resources are all recognised, communicated with and involved.  For example, if someone comes to the Town Council Offices and says, "I want to learn to dance, what is available?", the Town Council should be able to advise where lessons can be obtained.  If that results in 100 queries of that nature which are resolved by any particular group then that group should be recognised and encouraged financially, through the use of grants and other benefits, as they would clearly be providing for the needs of local residents.

Local Talent 

There is an enormous fund of untapped talent within the town which is mainly unknown and often not recognised.  Trawling for that talent, recognising and using it, would enable the Town Council to have a far greater depth of understanding and a fund of back up and information.

Both the group information and knowledge of the local talent, coupled with the use of an active and relevant web site and computer database, allied to local input, could be a very powerful tool in regenerating the town's self respect and community spirit.

Other Towns 

A formal, effective relationship, with other towns, in respect of funding, how they carry out their functions and cross fertilisation of ideas is important.  Deal, Sandwich and Dover Towns all have similar challenges in respect of their relationships with the District Council.  The Alliance would seek to foster such relationships with other Town Councils.

Bylaws

The Town of Dover has By Laws covering such things as rubbish, fishing in the Dour etc.  However, lack of enforcement of those By Laws, and the lack of correct By Laws, is a source of great concern.  Everyone we have spoken to wants to see the town have more control to make those By Laws happen and to make the town tidier, cleaner and safer.  By supporting such things as River Watch and Shop Watch. Dover Alliance intends to achieve these goals for the citizens and businesses of Dover.

Youth

The matter of youth actually encompasses most of the other items on this list.  Other towns have a Youth Forum and the Alliance believes that input from the young is best done through a forum managed by experienced youth organisers, as well as through individual contact and through schools and other groupings.

However it is done the voice of the young should be listened to and, where appropriate, acted upon, as they are just as much a part of the town as anybody else and deserve to be involved.  It is the aim of the Dover Alliance to empower the youth of the town through these forums, to achieve a feeling of inclusivity and sense of belonging and achievement in the young. 

Sports & Social

The  Alliance would like to evolve a closer working relationship with Dover Athletic football club.  The club carries the towns name and status across  the UK on a weekly basis both on the field and particularly in the media, and this asset should be harnessed to raise the profile of the town and, hopefully, the fortunes of the club itself.  The Alliance also recognizes the very real need to provide adequate and modern social activities for the residents of Dover, both in the heart of the town and in the various Wards.  Whilst the skateboard park in Pencester Gardens is a good start, it is only a start and much more needs to be done.  Other major towns and cities have clearly proved that investment in civil amenities leads to lower crime rates and vandalism.  Dover should be no exception.

Dover Town Development 

Dover Town Council should be actively involved in interpreting these requirements to the District Council and keeping the people of the town informed. The town is not even a member of the Dover Pride Board. The Town Council must be involved at ground level in the input to this as it is clearly not solely a District matter but rather is of prime concern to the people of Dover.

Cruise Liners

One of the largest changes to the business of this town over the past few years has been the bringing in of cruise liners by Dover Harbour Board.  The relationship with Dover Harbour Board and the benefits of the cruise liners needs considerable attention.  

We believe this is an area where huge benefits to the town can be achieved, enabling all of the items on this list to be set in context.  Dover Alliance intends to work closely with Dover Harbour Board to achieve a mutually beneficial set of facilities and opportunities that will lead to a more enhanced experience in Dover for the passengers plus a fiscal return for the town.

Tourism 

Dover has a very long and proud history and yet it is too often perceived as somewhere that people pass through on their way to the continent.  By working with local groups and societies Dover Alliance will look for ways to improve the tourist attractiveness of the town, to the benefit of local residents and traders.  We want to find more ways to encourage people to come to Dover and spend their money here.  Historical sites such as the Grand Shaft should not be wasted.

Dover Castle is a major asset and treasure which has the potential to contribute more to the town, particularly as it attracts many visitors annually.  Although under the trusteeship of English Heritage a close liaison between the castle, town and cruise liners could provide a valuable link between the three. This would have the effect of raising visitor awareness in all three and therefore increasing the contribution of each towards the regeneration of the town itself.

Unemployment 

All of the items mentioned here lead towards the creation of more employment opportunities within Dover.  By liaising with local organisations and bodies the Alliance would like to see more help provided for the unemployed to gain jobs or be able to create jobs for themselves, whatever their circumstances.

Ceremonial and Twinning

Dover Alliance would see an examination of the sums spent on all aspects of ceremonial and twinning expenses to make sure that there was a balanced viewpoint.

Business Plan

Dover Alliance believes that the full business plan now in place for Dover Town should be actively updated annually to show targets and performance.  We also believe that this should be properly communicated to the people of the town for them to comment on and to offer suggestions and revisions.