Christmas is coming, and there's something for all the family in White Cliffs Country this festive season. 

Christmas lights are already shining out, with events lighting up towns across the district.  And there's a whole range of highlights to come, including festive fun on Saturday (9 Dec) in Dover Market Square.  

To help you shop local, we've introduced free parking in DDC-owned car parks from 3pm on weekdays throughout December.

We've also confirmed our seasonal waste collections with no collections on 25/26 Dec and collections days from 25 Dec to 5 Jan moved - see details here.

• More on Christmas arrangements

With winter upon us, we continue to work hard to provide help and support to communities with the cost of living.

DDC's Benefit and Money Advice team has helped prevent hundreds of council tenants from spiralling into debt. The team helped 1,213 tenants increase their income by more than £1 million in total in the past year. 

Our Communities team continues to offer a range of support for residents, signposting to services and visiting harder to reach communities in the Community Roots van. 

• More on help available

Planning inspectors are currently holding the hearing sessions for the examination of the Dover District Local Plan.

The Local Plan sets out the vision, strategic objectives and development strategy for the growth of the district over the period to 2040.

All sessions are being streamed online, and two weeks' sessions are still to be held, one running from today (5 Dec) to 8 Dec, and one from 12-15 Dec. This week's session is being held at DDC offices in Whitfield. 

• More on Local Plan Examination

Residents, businesses and anyone with an interest can now view and comment on new design proposals for the Dover Beacon, in a second round of consultation ahead of a planning application in 2024.

Proposals can be seen on the DDC website, with a short survey for people to share their views.  The closing date is 22 December. 

A drop-in event was held at EKC Dover College in November. The exciting multi million pound Dover Beacon project in Bench Street in Dover is set to deliver over £90m of economic benefits to the town.

• More on Dover Beacon

DDC has been awarded £480,000 in grant funding to prepare a brownfield site in Dover for the Council to build 24 affordable homes for local people facing homelessness.

The government grant is from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities via the first round of the Brownfield Release Fund, through its partnership with One Public Estate. This money will help to progress a development in Poulton Close, helping to pave the way for more affordable homes in the district.

• More on affordable homes 

Residents and visitors to Cowdray Square Playing Fields in Deal are able to workout for free thanks to a £10,000 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.

The new gym equipment was installed at the park this autumn. This is the second part of the redevelopment of Cowdray Square Playing Fields, following an exciting play area upgrade with a £100k investment in new facilities last year.

• More on leisure facilities

A key plan setting out the vision for the district over the next four years has been approved by DDC following a meeting on Wednesday last week, (29 November).

The Corporate Plan sets out the aims and priorities for the district up to 2027, centred around a vision of ‘building a better and fairer future’. 

The plan has four strategic themes, with a fifth ambition underpinning them: improving our housing; growing our economy; protecting our environment; supporting our communities; and modernising our Council.

• More on Corporate Plan

DDC councillors agreed to changes to the area’s polling districts at a council meeting last week, (29 Nov). This follows news that DDC carried out a Polling District, Polling Places and Polling Stations Review this autumn.  

The Register of Electors for 2024 was published on Friday (1 Dec). If you have moved in the last 4 months and have not updated your details, you can still register to vote on-line at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and ensure you are ready to have your say in future elections.

• More on elections