Dreamland 5th - Which Did it Beat?

[Graeme]

I'm intrigued by the news that Dreamland is now ranked as the UK's fifth most-visited amusement park! Presumably Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Pleasureland and Fantasy Island are the Top 3, as they have all seen multi-million pound investment. I'd also rate Adventure Island and Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach as amusement parks with decent visitor numbers. Which of these did Dreamland beat - Great Yarmouth?

[Nick]

1. Blackpool Pleasure Beach 6,200,000
2. Pleasueland, Southport 2,000,000
3. Pleasure Beach, Great Yarmouth 1,500,000
4. Flamingo Family Fun Park, Hastings 900,000
5. Dreamland, Margate 680,000

I assume that Fantasy Island and Adventure Island (Southend) don't release figures to the British Tourist Authority, as I would expect them both to achieve high visitor numbers. But if they don't release figures, they can't expect to appear in the official UK rankings!

Nick

[Graeme]

Thanks very much, Nick. Sounds like quite an asset! Surely it could approach the 1,000,000 mark with proper investement and marketing? I'm not saying build any coasters bigger than the Scenic Railway, just high quality rides and a high quality environment. Adventure Island is very much in the public eye up here in Essex, but Dreamland disappeared from the public eye years ago. If they let people know it was there, I'm sure people would go!

Yes, if I was Margate/Thanet, I'd be keen to make sure an amusement park developer could obtain that site.

Also good to hear Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is doing well. C'mon, it's time for more investment!

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

As I understand it, Dreamland is not threatened with closure because it is unprofitable- it isn`t.

It is threatened with closure for two reasons. Firstly, land values are currently high, and secondly town planners are being discouraged from using greenfield sites to build such things as supermarkets- a branch of Morrison`s appears to be the main projected use for the site..

These factors mean that the value of the Dreamland site will more than triple if consent for retail development is granted, and Mr Godden , who appears to be solely motivated by money, wishes to increase his own personal wealth regardless of the effect that this will have on the town which has provided his income for much of his working life.

A Morrison`s supermarket will bring no income into an area which already has serious economic problems, but will simply dilute the local spend, and lead to even more decay and deprivation. But of course, Mr Godden and Lord Morrison do not care about *that*.

It is for all of us to oppose any change of use for the site, and for Thanet Council to refuse any such application. Thanet council being what it is, I`m not exactly optimistic.

Ladies and Gentlemen, greed is a terrible thing.



Vince

[Cheryl]

Obviously we are all delighted at the news of the visitor numbers to Dreamland, has Thanet D C made any comment?

Surely these type of numbers cannot go without a mention.

[Nick]

The point made by Graeme above (i.e. that with proper investment it could reach 1,000,000 visitors) is interesting and almost certainly correct. When Bembom Brothers owned the park, it achieved 2,000,000 visitors per year at its peak. Bear in mind that it was not a free entry park in those days, so those figures are even more impressive - you paid one price to get in and all the rides were free. At the time (1980s) it was second only to Alton Towers as a pay-on-entry park.

There is absolutely no question in my mind that with a different, quality operator it would quite easily achieve 1,000,000 visitors. A major regional attraction like this cannot be lost to redevelopment. We really do need Thanet Council to stand up for tourism in Margate.

Nick