Planning Restrictions if Dreamland is Saved

[Mancfire]

Hi all,

Not wanting to sound negative, but Thanet Council really seem to want Dreamland to go. Assuming that the fight to save Dreamland is successful, and I really hope it is, what's to stop the council denying planning permission for new rides and basically running the place into the ground if they really want shut of it?

Is it possible they could make life really awkward for any new owner? I certinaly hope there are laws in place to get around this.

Just a consideration - ie. if we win the battle, have we also won the war?

Rick

[Nick]

If we win the battle we have definitely won the war. Dreamland almost certainly comes with permitted development rights under the General Permitted Development Order 1995, which allows new rides (up to 25 metres high) and new kiosks and stalls up to 5 metres high without the need for planning permission. (The only way it wouldn't come with these rights is if the council had removed them in granting a previous planning permission, which is unlikely). Given that the site has been in amusement park use for over 80 years, and has previously had very tall rides such as the Big Wheel and Looping Star, I can see noprospect of Dreamland's development as a major amusement park being restrained by the council.

Nick

[Mancfire]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the reply - it was just a consideration since I knew rows with the council over planning had a lot to do with BPB pulling out of Morecambe.

Cheers once again for clearing this up.

Rick