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Dover is set for a major regeneration programme For thousands of years, the White Cliffs of Dover have been an enduring symbol of our nation. But, while the Cliffs are world famous, Dover DC's chief executive, Nadeem Aziz, says the town itself is more of a ‘sleeping giant'. Now, all that is about to change. Dover DC is working with SEEDA and other public agencies to redevelop the town as part of the Dover Pride Regeneration Partnership. Among the projects planned are a new waterfront development, a cable car to the historical castle, and a second terminal at the port. Nadeem's enthusiasm for the regeneration of his area is infectious. A giant map of the district and the various plans has pride of place in his office. A background in civil engineering and the redevelopment of London Docklands probably helps too. ‘I joined Lewisham LBC at the age of 18, after my A-levels. I was taken on during an era when local government had more money than it does now, in terms of training and development,' he says. ‘I was sponsored by Lewisham to go through college. And I decided I wanted to do civil engineering.' Mr Aziz spent about 10 years with Lewisham, before taking another post with Tower Hamlets LBC. He says working at Tower Hamlets and seeing the development of London Docklands gave him a ‘feel for major regeneration programme and how they impact on local communities'. Then, at the age of 40, Mr Aziz says he decided it was ‘time to move'. ‘I had my eye on a director's position at Richmond LBC and my wife said I should get some interview experience,' he explains. So, he applied for the director of planning at Dover DC, and was given an interview. Staff at Dover encouraged him to come down and visit the district for a few weekends. ‘Having spent some time in the area with my family, they said, why don't you give it a go?' he remembers. He joined Dover DC in January 2000, and in April 2003 became chief executive. ‘I'm delighted to be here because this is the moment for Dover. There is more happening here than many of the other designated growth areas. Dover has always been a fantastic place, but it's never reached its full potential,' he says. The town is planning to take full advantage of the new high-speed rail link with London, which will start in December 2009. The development of a new waterfront will also help attract more tourists to the town itself, as well as creating 2,600 new jobs. ‘The port provides 22,000 jobs in the area, but it also generates 2.5 million lorry visits a year, which go through the town,' he says. ‘You would not know it, but Dover has a nice seafront, but most people don't know it's there because of the road. ‘It's not an ideal situation when the seafront is disconnect from its town,' he adds. ‘Any visitor to [nearby] Canterbury Cathedral finds themselves in the heart of the town, and they have an economic impact on the town. But Dover Castle and the White Cliffs are both out of town. People can visit those places and then escape. There's no tie-in with the rest of the town.' Another of the projects is the planned cable car from the town to Dover Castle. According to the vociferous taxi driver who drove me into town, this is something of a hot potato. But Mr Aziz sees things differently. ‘I defy anyone coming into Dover on a cruise and seeing a cable car to take them to one of the best castles in the country not to take it,' he says.

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WHITEHALL

Cliffhanger for Dover

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