Plans to regenerate Dreamland in Margate and turn it into the world's first amusement park of thrilling historic rides have taken a step forward.
Cabinet Members last night (Thursday 29 April) gave approval for work to go ahead on transferring part of the Dreamland site to the council. There is already an agreement, in principle, from the landowners, the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, to transfer the freehold of the cinema building and land to the council.
The project aims to create a major new visitor attraction at Dreamland that would attract more than half a million visitors, bringing several hundred new jobs and helping to regenerate the town. Visitors would be able to enjoy historic amusement park rides, many of which are the last surviving examples of their type. They would be built around the centrepiece of the park, the Scenic Railway, the UK's oldest surviving wooden roller coaster, and the fourth oldest in the world. Restoration work will also be carried out on the grade II* listed Dreamland cinema building.
The scheme is a partnership between the council, the Dreamland Trust and land owners the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company. Funding for the project is coming from a number of sources, including the Sea Change Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Applications have also been submitted to English Heritage, Arts Council England, SEEDA and Thanet Works for additional funding.
The report sets out that this land transfer should be completed by the end of July 2010 to enable the project to meet the Sea Change grant conditions, which require the funding to be used by March 2011. Cabinet agreed that should it prove necessary, compulsory purchase proceedings could be used to minimise the risk that this deadline cannot be met, although it was stressed that would be a last resort.
The council's Cabinet Members also agreed plans to put £2.2 million of the council's money into the project, which is already provided for in the council's existing budget, and, if alternative funding cannot be found, for the council to borrow up to £1.8 million, to make up the money needed for the project. Both these decisions will now go forward to a meeting of full Council for final approval.
If all goes to plan, work will commence towards the end of 2010, with the park expected to open in summer 2012.
Friday 30 April 2010
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They never learn, fast and loose with our money again.
ReplyDeleteYounger people are not interested in the old fashioned rides - they want the fast, white knuckle rides as is demonstrated with the success of places like Disney, Alton Towers etc.
ReplyDeleteIt would be far better to create a fabulous indoor water park, camping and caravan/RV park.
Margate needs to attract families for longer stays - that will then produce revenue in restaurants, shops, hotels and guest houses.