Why save Dreamland?

[Neil]

I'm making a list of the main reasons for saving Dreamland for my website that can eventually be shown to the Council. What do people think and if you have more reasons that should be added then please either post them here or alternatively send me a PM/email. Thanks.
http://www.freewebs.com/savedreamland/why.htm

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

Tear up the pavement and return it to a parklike setting. Some carefully chosen rides, games, food and retail could turn Dreamland into a great destination - a nice place to walk around for an evening.

Turning Thanet into all shopping and housing is not econicly sound. Eventually the jobs created by construction go away, and you can't employ everyone at strip malls.

[Sarah]

It's going off topic Neil, for which I apologise, but I really do hate that block paving. The whole Dreamland site used to feel so much bigger when the paths undulated up and down and your view was of trees and lawns. Now it's a featureless landscape - apart from the Scenic of course - and your eye can see right to the park's perimeter from just about every point.

Probably not JG's worst crime in the grand scheme of things, but up there in the Top 20 for me.

Sarah

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

Unfortunately, the pavement will be expensive to remove.
Not to mention replacing all the trees and grassy areas.

[Nick]

Unfortunately, the pavement will be expensive to remove.
Not to mention replacing all the trees and grassy areas.

Sadly, a grant was used to detsroy the trees and grassy areas and replace them with the current paving.

Nick

[Sarah]

And what a truly fantastic use of EU funding that was.

Sarah

PS Sarcasm alert Bob!

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

This is why you need to get pro-active and go to council meetings.
Since they funded the destruction, there may be provisions for having to restore it or being compeled to do so. An attractive Dreamland will mean income for decades, even if it was marred in the unsentimental years.
I can't do it from here. You need to scour your local laws and apply pressure to the council or local govenrment.

[dave771]

With all due respect I think as a new member you need to have a good look at what has happened over the last three years since this campaign started, most things you are suggesting have already happened or are being looked into !

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

Hi.

I've been involved for about a year, just haven't been on the forum.
I guess what I mean is continued pressure. I know you guys have been doing what you can. Just don't let up. Every open meeting needs a Dreamland presence.

I'm ignorant of your election process. When is the current council up for dismissal? Is there a way to have them recalled?

It's imperative that the people are made aware that the council is acting against the wishes of the people they are supposed to be serving. If this is true of Dreamland, it's likely true in other areas on other matters. A similar council can not be voted in again if you have any hope of winning Dreamland back permenantly.


Didn't mean to offend. Just trying to support the cause. I actively petition the council. If just 5% of Margate (thousands of people) took as much time as I have once a week to write the council, this would all be resolved.

[Nick]

You are absolutely right, continued pressure is needed. We are stepping up the pressure this year. We had people in the streets of Margate last Saturday, and they will be there again next Saturday (and possibly even the Saturday after that). They are asking people for their views. We will be presenting the results of that survey to the Council. So far, only 1% of respondents support the council. Other surveys and consultations have also shown that the Conservative council's approach to Dreamland is not popular. I am certain that, come the elections in 2007, people will be letting the Council know what they think of their almost complete disregard for their views. After all, Dreamland is by far the biggest visitor attraction in the district and people are not going to let it go this easily. Especially not when they know there are operators wanting to take the park on, and when an independent inspector said it should remain.

At the moment we are focussed on the current consultation. If there are any members out there who have not completed the response form, please go onto the Thanet website and do so:

http://www.thanet.gov.uk/cgi-bin/buildpage.pl?mysql=782

Nick

[Bob]

You are absolutely right, continued pressure is needed. We are stepping up the pressure this year. We had people in the streets of Margate last Saturday, and they will be there again next Saturday (and possibly even the Saturday after that). They are asking people for their views. We will be presenting the results of that survey to the Council. So far, only 1% of respondents support the council. Other surveys and consultations have also shown that the Conservative council's approach to Dreamland is not popular. I am certain that, come the elections in 2007, people will be letting the Council know what they think of their almost complete disregard for their views. After all, Dreamland is by far the biggest visitor attraction in the district and people are not going to let it go this easily. Especially not when they know there are operators wanting to take the park on, and when an independent inspector said it should remain.


At the moment we are focussed on the current consultation. If there are any members out there who have not completed the response form, please go onto the Thanet website and do so:

http://www.thanet.gov.uk/cgi-bin/buildpage.pl?mysql=782

Nick

You re very Free with telling other people what to do but less free in digging into your own pockets. You are very keen to tell other that they should subsidies a loss making business that has lost money every year for the past 20 years. The council also has a duty to the local electorate and a legal duty not to waste taxpayer’s money.

Dreamland will in its current form as a fairground never make money. Its is clear beyond any doubt at all that it will loose money. Will the save Dreamland Campaign be investing in Dreamland this year. Will it be operating any rides will it be doing anything other then generate hot air of course not. You no it will loose money and you will not take the risk. If you had any real commitment you would be there this year operating rides or getting others to operate them on you behalf.

You claim that Dreamland can make money and are so certain it will so invest your own money in it the opportunity is there

I will pretty near guarantee you will not. Now let’s wait for your excuses. I doubt they will be long before they do.

[Neil]

You have mis-quoted Nick there, Bob. He was not actually telling people to delve into their pockets, but participate in the public consultation which is a different matter.

Again we will listen to you, but only if you show that you are listening to us. I am happy for people to go off topic if that's the way natural conversation leads, but to add a quote and then ramble off on a topic neither related to the original nor the quote seems to fall into the category of spamming. There is a lot to say to your message, but perhaps you would like to take this to a more appropriate topic than this one.

[Bob]

You have mis-quoted Nick there, Bob. He was not actually telling people to delve into their pockets, but participate in the public consultation which is a different matter.

Again we will listen to you, but only if you show that you are listening to us. I am happy for people to go off topic if that's the way natural conversation leads, but to add a quote and then ramble off on a topic neither related to the original nor the quote seems to fall into the category of spamming. There is a lot to say to your message, but perhaps you would like to take this to a more appropriate topic than this one.

No I am not misquoting you are all happy to tell others to Invested in Dreamland. There is a total lack of Investment from the Save Dreamland Campaign. You are all so certain Dreamland is a massive money pot so why the reluctance of you to Invest in it. There is nothing at all to stop you operating rides this year or sub contracting it to an operator. Think of all the money the Save Dreamland Campaign can make and you can prove how profitable it is.

There is not a hope in hell you will though. You commitment runs to hot air only.

[AJ]

Its not down to the campaign to invest we are a 'pressure group' and have never made any claims to be anything other than that. The point is that there is a interested party as in Philip Miller but you will not take that on board.

Just out of interest why did Jimmy buy the place if it hadn't made money for the 10 years prior to him taking over? Did he really think that stripping the place the way he did he would really turn it around?

Also how much money have you invested in Dreamland?

[Stephen]

I am sorry Bob but you are talking absolute garbage, it is not the role of this Campaign to either put up money or to run rides and sideshows.

However, the Campaign has introduced a prospective purchaser who is quite prepared to pay the going rate for an amusement park and invest in upgrading, refurbishing and suchlike. This is rather more than most campaigns would do.

The site has been let for this year and George Webb is clearly making his own arrangements in a businesslike manner to ensure the site is used.

This Campaign has a role, and will no doubt work at it, to encourage visitors and support the venue.

The problem you have, or those who employ you …… as you have never done us the courtesy of explaining your role I can’t be sure …….. is that you want to sell the site at a price commensurate with development valuation.

This Campaign is not in the business of assisting a speculative investor make a large profit or an owner who bought at amusement park prices make a fortune.

Your posts can be quite successful though, they put ‘fire in the belly’ and serve to encourage us even more by showing just how right we are. You tell us that Dreamland has not made money, well that is the result of poor management; potential purchasers experienced and successful in the amusement park world don’t make offers without doing their research.