Web Site viewings

The past calendar month recorded 1073 visits to this site with 85% coming from search engines, 8% direct and the remaining 7% being referrals from other sites.   The biggest fans, apart from those in the UK are from the US and Canada.   Still have someone in Moscow looking at us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another award for Dungeness property

'El Ray', formally just a 'railway carriage shack' has been transformed into an award winning building.   The Kent Designs Award  follows on from last years award from RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) for properties in the under £1million category.

The interior still contains the original railway carriage but externally things are a lot different.   Its rounded curves are clad in vertical  panelled wood and viewed from the air it resembles a wine glass.   Obviously there has been criticism over its design but then there always are the die hard critics/moaners who do not want change.   Dungeness is unique, in part due to the diverse properties that are around.   At least these new designs, constructed to current building regulations and with the best possible materials, will be around long after the original ramshackle shacks have fallen down and of course will continue providing Dungeness with its uniqueness.

Degenerating Dungeness Road

Every three years or so we have to shout to get the road repaired.   It should be the duty of the trustees of the Estate to ensure the road is maintained in a safe good order.   Although a private estate it is open to the public but the local council do not want to know - even though they actively promote the area for tourism.

A suggestion is to start charging for the road's upkeep - AFTER it has been completely renovated -  with all house owners contributing, say £20 per year and local businesses, say £150.00.   Income, for the trustees, is obtained from film companies and a sum from that should be added to the 'road fund' -  together with an equal amount from the local council!

Dungeness Address

Dungeness is an estate so why do we need Dungeness Road as part of the official address.   Surely Dungeness TN29 9ND would suffice.   How do we go about having it changed?

Dungeness 'Official Website'

Have I mentioned it?   Dungeness residents association are looking into the funding of their own website.   I did offer this one (for nothing) but did not even have the courtesy of a response.   This site is already number one on Google - a further seventeen hundred hits in last month with 275 viewers to the blog and literally from all over the world - including a further four from Moscow (just thought maybe our power stations are a target)- So why not make this site more up to date by spending a few hundred pounds?   What is also worrying is the comment 'looking to ways of funding.....'.   There was in excess of £3000.00 in the kitty implying a new site would cost in excess of that?   Wonder who wants to create the new site!   Perhaps an owner 'who knows about these things'

KEEP DUNGENESS UNIQUE - SAY NO TO A TWEE VILLAGE

The recent Dungeness Residents Association were vociferous in their condemnation of Shepway Councils latest 'giving in' to outside developers - relating to what was claimed as an historic building - namely 'The Smokery'.   Me thinks sour grapes born out of the fact that they were not made aware of the seemingly 'underhand'  sale of  the local church/buffalo lodge.   Which to my mind must be considered a more worthy challenger as an 'historic building'.   'All these bleeding outsiders coming in and buying up properties - it just aint right'   Of course the majority of the sour grape brigade are themselves outsiders too!
Had any of the baying residents taken the trouble to visit the property before or even during demolition they would have noted the virtual natural degradation of the wooden structure which was quite clearly not suitable for re-development.   The same critics also lamented on the inappropriate new designs being permitted by SDC.   Again, had the complainers taken the trouble to look at the plans submitted and other architects drawings it would have shown a very sympathetic replacement set of buildings with the main body of the house very similar to the property it was replacing.   This can now clearly be seen as the structure is well on its way to completion.   It is also interesting to note one of the objectors is also the owner of a past 'controversial' development known locally as the 'Rubber House'.   When proposed there was an outcry 'not in keeping with the area' etc etc.   It is also rumoured that the planning officer was moved sideways after agreeing to the  rubber skin (a true of Condominium) erection.  How true that was I don't know but sad if it were the case.   At least someone recognised the importance of keeping Dungeness different.

The whole point about Dungeness is that EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT and that is in part what makes the area unique.   Years ago, when Dungeness was developed as a community we had railway carriages at one end and purpose built bungalows at the other.   How greater contrast can you have?   It is that contrast that has got to be preserved.  Not so long ago there was an SDC planner who wanted all rebuilds/newbuilds to be clad in wood and painted black!   My complaints to SDC at the time was that we did not want a twee little village of, in Pete Seegers words 'little boxes all made out of ticky tacky and all look the same'.   Someone must have listened as my neighbour was refused planning permission for a shack with shiplap painted black as it was 'not in keeping with the area'   I think planners have a lot to answer for but as with most local government officials there is little possibility for sensible discussion.   On top of all that the Residents committee have now set up a sub committee to see through a 'village community'.   And the electees are all NON permanent residents and, according to the newsletter with two of them being people 'who know about these things' .   Frightening - if I knew what it all meant.
Keep Dungeness different - welcome the continuance of diverse structures and do not try and stop evolution.
A backdrop of two nuclear power stations, two lighthouses, a railway station, railway carriages, air raid shelters, purpose build bungalows, watch towers, plastic clad buildings, wooden clad shacks - HOW CAN ANYTHING BE CONSIDERED 'NOT IN KEEPING' OR INDEED ' IN KEEPING' with the area with such a diverse array already here.
 

Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway

The RH&DR has a new updated site!   We haven't because I lack the funds to pay for it all!

Dungeness Web Site

A recent newsletter from the local Residents Association indicates the proposal of a Dungeness Website and to seek funds to create this new site.   What is wrong with this one?   I have offered the current site to them but offer ignored!!!!!!!!
The creation of a new site will be quite expensive whereas an updating and freshening up of this one will be just a few hundred pounds.
This is a privately run site paid for out of my own pocket BUT it is still in the top 2 of major search engines, attracts over 1200 hits per month (has been as high as 4000) - and from all over the world.   Why create another one??
If anyone out there would like to contribute to this site it can be made to look a little more modern with the addition of a photo gallery etc.

Lydd Airport

Quite unexpectedly local councillors approved, with a 2 to 1 majority, an expansion of the local airport.   Of course the minority who are against any expansion are up in arms threatening public  enquiries and  delaying any development for at least 2 years.    It would seem the councillors, who were not expected to back the proposals, actually listened to their electorate and voted on behalf of the majority of locals who are not against the expansion.   Democracy comes to the Romney Marsh!   Apart from those who wish to  preserve wild life at all costs (it is a great pity they cannot put their energies into preserving the human species) the most opposition seems to come from those who have moved to the area in the not so distant past and fully aware of the existence of an operational airport.   They now feel their lives will be blighted by all the noise and pollution!   They should have been here in the fifties and sixties when silver City Airline were flying up to 200 flights per day in their dirty loud Bristol Freighters.   New proposals will probably see 10 flights per day from a lot quieter cleaner modern jets.   (It was interesting to hear on a recent BBC Radio 4 programme that for every ton of cement produced a ton of pollutants are discharged into the atmosphere and  that the total out put of pollutants in the production of cement is greater than all that produced by all the aircraft currently flying today.   Lets hear it for finding an alternative to cement production!   -  No it wouldn't work - not glamorous enough is it?

Human beings must come first and if there is an individual or company willing to inject millions of pounds into the local economy they should be welcomed with open arms.   If there are concerns with the ecology they should be addressed and resolved but to try to stop a project because a little known slug, protected by the European Union could be endangered is beyond comprehension.   Makes one wonder what would have happend during the industrial revolution if there had been protesters of the same ilk as we have today.