Thanet District Council is progressing with plans to create a world class leisure attraction at the Dreamland site in Margate.
The council, which owns the entire Dreamland site in Margate, plans to develop the whole site for leisure use and has assembled a funding package to bring forward the first stage of Dreamland’s restoration.
As the successful operation of an amusement park requires specialist technical expertise, the council is now looking to progress an open procurement process, to identify a suitable operating company to run the park.
An outline of this process is being taken to Cabinet on Thursday 1 May.
The council is working towards re-opening the first phase of the park in 2015 with a restored Scenic Railway, thrilling historic rides and top quality food and beverage outlets. Further phases would then follow.
The council has a professional project management team on-board to manage the project.
This team of professionals have pulled together detailed cost plans and are working through the costs and risks on a day to day basis. They meet regularly with council officers, and updates on progress will continue to be shared with Councillors.
Director for Community Services, Madeline Homer, said: “Dreamland has the potential to be a major economic driver for the district. We’re working incredibly hard behind the scenes to drive this development forward and will be doing all we can to keep the community up to date with our progress. Identifying a suitable operator to run the park is a major step in the journey, with the plan to open the first phase of the park in April 2015. Is this ambitious? Absolutely. Are there risks involved? Of course, but we’re committed to keeping the momentum going and involving those with the appropriate skills and expertise to see this project through.”
Freehold of the Dreamland site came into the council’s ownership at the beginning of September 2013.
On 8 October 2013, three Judges sitting in the Court of Appeal dismissed the former owners’ appeal (against the High Court decision to confirm the making of the compulsory purchase order), observing that “the need for regeneration for the economic and social benefit of Margate was overwhelming”.
There has been no further legal challenge by the former owners of the Dreamland site against the transfer of ownership of the land to the council.
Find out more about the council's history with Dreamland.
Find out more about the council's history with Dreamland.
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