Holiday Brochure

[Neil]

I've just got a copy of the 'Margate, Boradstair's, Ramsgate' 2006 borchure and it may help explain why Dreamland has not been doing too well lately. Let' draw a comparision between a well run and not well run attraction.

The shell grotto is clearly marked on the the map with a star to show it is a tourist attraction. While the Dreamland cinema is shown the amusement park has been airbrushed off it with now star to indicate it is an amusement park.

When they have a page listing 'thing's to discover' the Shell Grotto has a bullet point, whereas on the page 'things to experience' Dreamland is mysteriously not there.

The Shell Grtto has presumably paid for a quarter page advert, wheras there isn't even a trace of amusement park in the boruchure.

So will lots of people be visiting Dreamland this year....? Hmmm....

[micktee]

The 'New' Margate tourism leaflet which will be published very shortly has an advertisement for Dreamland, and a picture of the Scenic Railway.
The reason for the non-appearance of Dreamland in the latest brochure for the Thanet towns, is, as we have been all aware has been the uncertainty about the park this year, these publications are planned months ahead.

[dave771]

Thats fair enough Mick but we all know why there has been so much uncertainty and that is down to our local council !

[Hixxy]

Thats fair enough Mick but we all know why there has been so much uncertainty and that is down to our local council !

Hi I'm chris i live in margate and have an interest in the future of margate as a whole but do not really support your campaign. however i do read over your forum with interest. anyway i best ask my question Why is the uncertainty down to our local council?

[dave771]

In brief the inspectors report said that Dreamland should remain an amusement park but Thanet council have decided to go against his findings and chose another option to allow the site to be developed for other uses which inflates the land value therefore preventing a theme park operator being able to afford the site.

[AJ]

without planning permission the site is valued at around £5 million but with the uncertainty and the chance of planning permission the site is valued around five times that thus forcing out Amusement Park operators.

If the coucil stuck to the policy of the site must be kept as an Amusement Park then the value would still be around £5 million.

[Neil]

I think people have already given the main points. Basically the owner wants to make as much money as they can and the land is worth more for housing than it is for an amusement park so the owners will try and build houses on the site.

Again all the Council has to do is make it clear that the only acceptable development is as an amusement park, in which case the owners would rather have £5 million than nothing.

Unfortunately the Council has always supported the developers and this started back in 2003 when they changed the local plan (following a secret meeting between Jimmy Godden, Roger Gale and possibly someone from Stadium Development-this is from the news page, although by definition it was secret so I am sketchy on the details and am happy for people to tell me I'm wrong)

[Nick]

Hi I'm chris i live in margate and have an interest in the future of margate as a whole but do not really support your campaign. however i do read over your forum with interest. anyway i best ask my question Why is the uncertainty down to our local council?

The Inspector's Report into the Thanet Local Plan criticised the Council for this. A development plan is supposed to provide certainty to landowners, developers and communities. That is the fundamental basis of the UK system of statutory development plans. At the moment, the Local Plan policy on Dreamland says it might be an amusement park, but then again, it might be something else (and it doesn't even say what that 'something else' might be). That is not certainty. That is bad planning, and that is why the independent government inspector criticised the Local Plan.

Sadly, the Council has so far failed to take on board the Inspector's criticisms and, more importantly, has failed to take on board what the vast majority of people in Thanet and its visitors want. (We know what most people want for Dreamland from the results of the previous consultations and surveys undertaken by this campaign and the local press).

It is a shame, but we will go on fighting...

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

Good to see interested citizens of Margate.

Just in addition to all that, I think most of us believe that properly restored with green space and trees, Dreamland could again be a wonderful jewel. We realize that as it is now, it's unsightly and a marginal attraction at best.
To see what we'd hope for, visit this link:
http://www.savedreamland.co.uk/
and lick on the Dreamland Logo under JOIN US!

Aren't there enough shopping and flats already?