Any Chance of a Change of Heart at the Council?

[Graeme]

I was thinking, now we've just had council elections, is it likely a council more sympathetic to Dreamland has been elected? Does anyone know if Thanet District Council changed dramatically? Did a different party gain overall control of it?

[Nick]

That is an easy one - there was no change in Thanet as there were no local elections there.

I have now had the opportunity of reading the council's response to my Proof of Evidence to the forthcoming Inquiry (my proof will be uploaded to the Save Dreamland website very soon). The Council seem quite happy to lose Dreamland, and don't seem to understand that being totally flexible for development means that amusement park operators are priced out in favour of retail, residential and leisure developers. If Thanet Council wants to retain a major tourist attraction in the town (and Dreamland is the only tourist attraction in the Isle of Thanet that gets more than 100,000 visitors a year), then they are going to have to reinstate the original policy. That will give the certainty that is required to give tourism operators a chance.

Nick

[Graeme]

Thanks Nick. That's a shame there was no vote. I thought it could have been a big enough issue to warrant a change of council. After all, the Conservatives have just gained my local council, and the main issue is really traffic (they've pledged a new bypass and the conversion of a road to a dual carriageway). I'd certainly think tourism was a big enough issue.

The Proof of Evidence made a good read. It highlighted just how the Dreamland site hasn't been used to its full potential yet (especially compared to Adventure Island), and that recent use hasn't been the be-all-and-end-all of what an amusement park can be. As your report says, seaside amusement parks don't have to be Thorpe Park to do their job! Anything but!

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

TDC doesn`t have a heart to change, since it is an organisation, not an individual.

Its members are attracted by the same motivation which drove typical TDC councillor Colin Kiddell. Personal gain, greed and theft. They can sue me if they don`t like me saying this. Bring it on.

Jimmy Godden *is* an individual and he *does* have a heart. We can only hope that he takes a last minute decision to do the "right thing".

He has gone on record in the past as stating that he understands the vital relationship between Dreamland and Margate- see the excellent Dreamland Remembered book for further details. I am sure that, at heart, he *is* a showman, rather than being a "property developer"




Vince

[Graeme]

TDC doesn`t have a heart to change, since it is an organisation, not an individual.

Yes, OK, but councils are headed by individuals. I thought if a significant number of different people came in (especially high up), as has happened elsewhere, it could make all the difference.