The Leader of Dover District Council, Cllr Keith Morris, attended the launch of the second Grimsey Review on the future of high streets and town centres at the Local Government Association conference.
Cllr Keith Morris, said: “It was clear from our discussion that we’re on the right path but there is still much to do. We’ve brought leisure and entertainment back into the town centre at St James, and our exciting plans for the restoration of the Maison Dieu as a cultural venue.
“Our plans with Dover Big Local for the former Co-op site also resonate with the Grimsey Review by providing a low-risk space for entrepreneurs to innovate and incubate before moving into bigger premises on the high street.
“We’re seeing new investment in residential property in the town centre too.”
The Grimsey Review 2 highlights the need to reshape town centres with major structural changes in the retail industry and the inexorable rise of online shopping. Grimsey says that town centres should stop competing with out-of-town development and focus on becoming community hubs based on health, education, leisure, entertainment, and arts and culture.
Dover District Council also supports Dover Town Team’s bid for £3m from the Coastal Community Fund for a revamp of the Market Square as a community hub.
Posted on 04 July 2018