News from Thanet Council (MTCRC to sell site or face CPO)

[EAS]

Isn't the steam fair the next Bank Holiday?

Yes, I think the efforts to 'save' and re-open Dreamland will have been wasted if it isn't saved. However, that's now the planning brief, that at least half the site will be an amusement park.

I could of course post here all the details of what could go wrong, but I'm not in the game of handing the site owners one scrap of information which they might latch onto and use. So excuse me if I stay relentlessly positive, in public at least.

It's called wisdom.

[Neil]

Sorry, yes, you're right. Carta's is the next one.

Things can go wrong, but there’s a lot of things that can go right. The Scenic and cinema will still be listed, regardless (as will the zoo cages, I think?). I don’t know enough about funding or planning laws to know about restoration orders, compulsory purchase and whether deadlines for grants can be re-negotiated. But, if anyone can pull this off I’m sure the Trust will. Between them they have a lot of skills in all sorts of areas from business, engineering, marketing through to planning matters.

It’s good to have your input EAS. It sounds like you have a lot of experience in these things. I agree that it is sensitive as a lot of effort has gone in and I'm sorry if I have inadvertantly offended anyone. I certainly haven't meant to. At the same time I don’t see any harm in respectful speculation. It keeps the forum active and shows that there’s still a lot of passion about Dreamland. 'Vince Charlie and Sam' have done a lot to help the campaign and their feedback on local opinion is, in my view, important. If things do work out the Trust will need to 'sell' Dreamland to the people of Thanet. If locals are behind it they might help spread the message to people further afield. Having members who are in touch with local opinion will presumably be useful in working out what will and won't appeal to locals.

People do have strong feelings, but given the ammount of love for Dreamland that's inevitable. Ultimately we all want the same thing, and hopefully one day we'll be standing side by side drinking champagne/orange juice to celebrate the park's survival.

One other achievement that can't be taken away (if we do fail) is all the research into vintage rides that's been conducted by the campaign, coordinators and Dreamland Trust. As you say, all these things will be small victories if Dreamland does become a housing estate, but whatever happens now this won't be a total failure.

As for the deadline, fingers crossed.

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

If Margate's really as depressed as I keep hearing, I can't believe anyone would really want to build there.

[Lou]

Hi Jim
Margate is REALLY DEPRESSED!!! Believe me - it has been for years, because the heart of margate was Dreamland and when Dreamland died so did margate.
However, Dreamland will rise again and Margate will have new breath - this is what some of us believe.........
Flats would have been a money making exercise for a quick buck - and then the owners would have made their money and moved on to the next seaside resort with cheap land. There would have been nothing in Margate apart from the flats, boarded up shops and the ongoing turner centre (who none of the locals seem to want), and of course our lovely beaches.
Anyhow, onwards and upwards...

[Lou]

I'm sure you should googlemap it.
Look for Marine Parade and the High Street.

[sullee]

I moved away from margate in 2003 and everytime i come back to visit my family a bit more of the margate that used to attract tourists has gone. The seafront is a shadow of its former self and as for the town centre, whoevers idea it was to move all the shopping to westwood wants shooting cos the roads to it are simply shocking.
I worked at dreamland for a season back in 1996 and i also spent an awful lot of time there during my childhood. I certainly feel that a re-invention of the park is what is needed to give a bit of life back to the town. It needs something for people to come to margate for and all you see now in the news and in papers is how bad the place is now.
I really hope that the campaign hasnt been a wasted effort, ive been watching with eagerness at the hope that work would start on dreamland soon. I know theres a lot of people who have put in so much effort to make it work, I just hope that godden doesnt have the last laugh (like he usually does), and ruin another piece of seaside heritage for personal profit!!

[sullee]

building more flats is deffinatley not the answer to margates needs. I noticed on my last visit the most of the guesthouses and grand hotels that used to line the streets of cliftonville and westbrook have since been turned into flats. looked like a ghetto almost.
very sad indeeed

[barcrest]

building more flats is deffinatley not the answer to margates needs. I noticed on my last visit the most of the guesthouses and grand hotels that used to line the streets of cliftonville and westbrook have since been turned into flats. looked like a ghetto almost.
very sad indeeed

The few times I have been to Margate I have stayed in Cliftonville but that was back when Dreamland still existed. If what you say is true where will holiday makers stay now when they come to vist the new Dreamland?

[Peet]

This appeared on the RCCGB forum (http://rccgb.myfreeforum.org/Dreamland_ ... t1301.html) a few days ago and I've been waiting for it to be reported here, but it doesn't seem to have appeared:

Plans for a new heritage attraction in Margate, Kent, have been handed a boost after the local authority agreed to contribute up to £4m towards the scheme.

Thanet District Council (TDC) has approved £2.2m investment towards the regeneration of the Dreamland site, which is set to create one of the world's first amusement park of historic rides.

Councillors also agreed to borrow up to £1.8m if the scheme is unable to attract alternative funding, although the proposals are subject to approval from the full council.

In addition to the funding commitment, TDC cabinet members have agreed to start work on transferring part of the Dreamland site from owner Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company.

The council will take on the freehold of the Dreamland Cinema as part of the acquisition, which will enable the development of the heritage amusement park.

TDC is working in partnership with the Dreamland Trust on the scheme, which has secured funding through the government's Sea Change initiative and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

A TDC spokesperson said: "The report sets out that this land transfer should be completed by the end of July 2010 to enable the project to meet the Sea Change grant conditions, which require the funding to be used by March 2011.

"Cabinet agreed that should it prove necessary, compulsory purchase proceedings could be used to minimise the risk that this deadline cannot be met, although it was stressed that would be a last resort."




Taken from an email from Leisure Opportunities.

Is this the same £4m from Sea change, or has another £4m been secured from the council?

[dave771]

This news has been reported on the news page.

[porf]

In brief :

The £4m is separate from the Sea Change money.

The £4m should have come from MTCRC but they're slightly financially embarrassed right now.

Essentially the council will provide some/all of the money that should have come from MTCRC in return for MTCRC turning over a chunk of the site for a £1. The council plan to put up £2.2m straight away and then try to find the rest.

[Peet]

Thanks for clarifying.

[EAS]

Excellent news today on the news page re funding.

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

That IS good news. it'd be nice if they'd charge Waterbridge, or MTCRC, or whatever they're calling themselves these days, with obstructing progress and simply cease the land and pay them a pittance for it.

Oh, if only....

[julieann38]

There are some on here who believe that the Campaign, and Messrs Godden and Hunter have formed some type of partnership. Well, good luck, and may the Lord's blessing go with you.

HOW RUDE!!! My husband is a trustee, he ISN'T in league with Godden, they work bloody hard on this campaign, and I cannot believe you could make such a ridiculous, uninformed comment. If you're so busy with your work that you cannot find time to become a trustee then I wonder that you can find the time to think up the kind of nonsense you have just posted.

Shame on you.