Worrying News

The Save Dreamland Campaign was launched by Joyland Books in January 2003 and is now supported by several thousand people. This is the place to discuss all aspects of saving Margate's famous amusement park and its iconic , Grade II listed Scenic Railway, Britain's oldest roller coaster.

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Worrying News

Postby Mancfire » 12 Apr 2004, 15:09

Hi all,

When recently speaking to my Uncle who lives less that 50 minutes drive from Margate, he said the fact that Dreamland was closing is a foregone conclusion.

News has travelled that Dreamland will be replaced with Executive flats, and he said the council is trying to push this through since it feels that city executives who will commute into London for work are far more desirable types that the sort of visitor an amusement park would bring.

Apparently, the council is of the opinion that an amusement park brings "the wrong type of people" into the town!! Hence does not want a park there and apparently will do all it can to achieve this. Whether this is true I am not sure but from what we've seen this certainly seems to be the case.

Obviously, this opinon is complete rubbish also, as flats etc... will NOT bring anyone into the town as Nick & Sarah are trying so hard to point out. The fact that amusement park visitors are "undesirable types" is also rubbish - in it's deliberately run down state this may be true, but if operated for example like Blackpool, or indeed Southport, the majority are either family visitors, or people like myself who are adults and go for a weekend break, then also utilise other facilities in the town such as B&B's, restaurants, theatres and nightclubs.

Let's hope that this is all not true, but I have a sneaky feeling it is. The council also seem to be trying sneaky and underhand tactics to get around the issue of the Scenic Railway being listed. What this all shows is that we need to keep up the fight.

Also, I do have some preliminary planning training, and I would ask, is there not a way of getting this to Secretary of State for an appeal if the council is hell-bent on destruction? I would be grateful if you could answer this Nick as you are a planning consultant. Just a thought....

Thanks,
Rick
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Postby Graeme » 12 Apr 2004, 17:19

If the council does not want the sort of people who will visit an amusement park, they must not want any visitors at all, because amusements and rides are at the heart of any seaside resort. There's nothing inherently wrong with them.

Is this a big issue in the local papers? I feel the newspapers should be telling people there are amusement park operators waiting to take over, plus the fact it attracted 700,000 last time it was a full amusement park and can attract 1.5m. Surely armed with those statistics, the public would pressurise the council? I know I'm not saying anything that hasn't been thought of, but I feel we're not going to get a change of heart from within the council, and so pressure must come from the masses.
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Postby Nick » 12 Apr 2004, 19:24

To answer mancfire's question first: there is no way that we can appeal to the Secretary of State because there is no third party right of appeal in this country as there is in, for example, the Republic of Ireland.

There are, however, other ways of getting the matter referred to the Secretary of State, for example, through "call-in" procedures. A lot depends on the outcome of the Local Plan Inquiry and the Masterplan (if anybody hasn't responded to the Masterplan, please do so now at www.thanet.gov.uk). I don't want to say too much about our strategy on the site, as it could weaken our position, but yes there are ways and means...

Graeme, I agree entirely with what you say about the sort of visitors that the park brings to Margate. If the Council doesn't want families, then I am afraid we are wasting our time! If that really is the case then what sort of future does Margate have? It is a risky strategy to throw away your bread and butter visitors in the hope that something will come along to replace it. At the present time, there doesn't appear to be anything else waiting to come along (see the Margate Masterplan for proof of that!). We will be going to the press soon with the two operators, but this has always been frought with commercial sensitivities (i.e. if the operators make too much of a song and dance, then they suddenly find that loads more operators are on the scene - would you put an advert in the paper that you had found a fantastic house and made an offer on it? The house wouyldn't be yours for long!)
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Postby Graeme » 12 Apr 2004, 19:42

Yes, of course, Nick, we must use discretion in that particular area! I just feel that the claim that Dreamland doesn't attract enough visitors must be countered. It's a claim that's all too easy to believe, so the public should certainly know that the park recently attracted 700,000, and the fact that it is plenty for a seaside amusement park.

It's madness to say Dreamland can't continue because it's not Thorpe Park or Chessington (1-3m each?) Clacton isn't Thorpe Park, Great Yarmouth isn't Thorpe Park, Southend isn't Thorpe Park... They all get by!
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Postby Nick » 12 Apr 2004, 21:33

I think the comparisons with Thorpe Park and Pleasure Beach Blackpool by Thanet District Council just shows their lack of understanding of seaside resorts. That is bad news, as they are running a council which has three of them!

We did actually go to the press when the 700,000 was announced last year by Visit Britain. That was covered by local press as well as BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/3165736.stm .

We really have all the evidence we need now. All we have to do is convince the Inspector in June. It would be nice to think the Council will see the error of their ways sooner rather than later, though, because this indecision is costing Margate dearly.

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Thanks

Postby Mancfire » 13 Apr 2004, 00:39

Nick,

Thanks for your answer - glad to hear there are "ways and means" and totally understand why the operators don't want to advertise the fact.

I find the fact that Thanet council and bedfellow Godden have got away with so much already, and the way they deliberatley loaded that questionnaire (on which I've made my thought's known all the same in my response to them!) is just making a massive joke out of the UK planning system. I put every trust in your brilliant efforts to protect the park, and hopefully not end up with another sorry seaside town as Morecambe now is.

Morecambe was another town where the council resisted development in an amusement park - I really don't blame BPB for pulling out and concentrating on Southport, since the council in Southport was willing to see that the development of the overall town depended on the investment in the park (Pleasureland) - where as in Morecambe this was not the case - this has since been proven in that the amount of visitors to Southport in the last few years has grown, and there is NO REASON WHATSOEVER to now go to Morecambe.

One only has to look at why Blackpool is the UK's premier resort - THE PLEASURE BEACH - to see that Dreamland MUST be retained and invested in - pre 1994 (Big One etc....) Margate WAS the Blackpool of the South - now, I can't see any reason for visiting the town - until let's hope - Dreamland is restored to it's former Godden state....

The council in Blackpool have the Pleasure Beach at the heart of its redevelopment plan. Why don't Thanet see Dreamland as such an opportunity?

We can only hope, and I'm sure with Nick and Sarah's valiant efforts it will, common sense prevails.

Also, one last point, any news on interest in the RUNAWAY COASTER in Folkestone? Sureley some park can fit it in? (As I said before ages ago - a fab addition to Pleasureland maybe? Come on Mr Thompson!!)
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Postby Sarah » 16 Apr 2004, 12:13

In response to Graeme's query about whether Dreamland is a big issue in the local papers, we have made the front pages of both locals this week, largely due to Nick's great work on the Masterplan.

The piece in the Extra is up on the News page and I am just off to buy my copy of today's Gazette which, I am told, carries a very positive interview with our interested operator (an Isle of Thanet Gazette exclusive!).

Those with longish Campaign memories will know that some of our local press have not been as supportive of our cause as we would have liked, or indeed expected (the 'pathetic bunch of mourners' comment springs to mind). I am hoping that this latest coverage is indicative of an overdue sea-change in their thinking.

I will send all the news over to Nick for it to be loaded on the Latest News page.

Sarah
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Postby Graeme » 26 Apr 2004, 21:50

OK, thanks Nick and Sarah for keeping us up to date with what's going on in the local papers. It's appreciated. At least the truth is there for all to see!
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