DDC News - December 2022

 
DecHeader

Help With Cost of Living

We continue to work to help households as the rising cost of living continues to affect local communities. 

If you're struggling to pay your bills, there is help at hand. We have pulled together useful council information and links to groups and organisations that can offer help and advice.

For more information, please see our cost of living page. 

CostofLiving

Christmas in Dover District

We've confirmed our seasonal waste collections, with no collections on Monday 26 December and collections that week moved forward a day, (Monday moved to Tuesday, etc). Please see our website for the latest on Council services over Christmas/New Year.

And to help people to shop local, we've also introduced free parking in DDC-owned car parks on Saturdays throughout December.

There's a whole range of seasonal events in the district. Highlights from partners have already included Christmas light switch-ons. The festive fun is all set to continue in Dover's Market Square on Saturday, 10 December, with a market, live music, and a visit from Santa! We've also unveiled this year's Christmas tree on Deal Pier

DealPier22

Safer Socialising

With Christmas on its way, community safety partners continue to work together to help everyone enjoy a safe seasonal night out.

Venues in the district have been given awards recognising their work promoting safer socialising in the district. 

Best Bar None is an accreditation scheme introduced by Kent Police with the support of the Community Safety Partnership. It sees safety standards put in place at pubs, clubs and bars with the aim of reducing alcohol-related crime and encouraging safety in the night-time economy. 

BestBarNone

Have Your Say Now on Local Plan

There are just three more days to go before the public consultation into the Local Plan review ends – make sure you have your say.

The Local Plan sets out the vision for Dover District up to 2040, including sites for new housing and where businesses could be built. A seven-week consultation ends on Friday, December 9.

Hundreds of people have already attended a series of in-person and virtual public exhibitions. Responses received will be sent to the Planning Inspectorate along with the Local Plan and an independent examination will then be carried out in public.

Local Plan

Guildhall Square in Sandwich

Redevelopment of the Guildhall Square in Sandwich is to start in earnest in February 2023 following the award of a contract to a local contractor.

Highway improvements in preparation for the redevelopment are now complete, and the awarding of the tender means the second phase of the works can start early next year.

The works are set to transform the square as a welcoming space for both residents and visitors, including resurfacing and the installation of new features such as improved seating, tree planting and lighting.

Guildhall

More New Affordable Homes

DDC continues to invest in new affordable housing as part of plans to build up to 500 new homes across the district.

This includes latest news that six new-build flats are being bought by DDC to provide more affordable homes for local people to rent. The two-bedroom flats on Castle Avenue in Dover are under construction and will be ready by summer 2023. 

Plans to build an additional 249 homes as part of the Whitfield Urban Expansion have been given the green light by DDC, and new homes include affordable housing. We've also had success in our application to the Brownfield Land Release Fund, delivered through the One Public Estate programme, with an award of over £100k to transform Council-owned brownfield land into plots for people to build their own homes.  

Brownfield

Community Grants

Community groups in the district have been given a winter boost of over £110k in the latest round of DDC's Community Grants - meaning the scheme has given more than £230k to over 130 groups this year. 

The scheme was set up to help local groups deliver their immensely important work in local communities. The grant is split into two rounds for summer and winter, and includes £7,500 from the Dover District Lotto. 

Groups benefitting from the winter round of the initiative include the Leaps and Bounds Community Project in Deal, Dover Outreach Centre, and Sandwich Social Supermarket. 

Communitygrants

Welcoming a Lotto Success

Communities across the district have been benefitting from a Lotto boost this year – with local good causes receiving more than £150,000 from the Dover District Lotto since it was launched by DDC in 2019.

Over 137 local charities, community groups and clubs benefit from a regular income thanks to the Lotto, with 60% of ticket sales going direct to local good causes. 

For more information, please see our Dover District Lotto page.

Lotto

Tell us what you think 

Welcome to the latest edition of your DDC e-newsletter.  We welcome all comments and feedback - please tell us what you think.  

Email pr@dover.gov.uk


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