Judge Sycamore comprehensively dismissed a legal challenge over the decision to grant the council ownership of the site.

The council originally received approval from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for the compulsory purchase of the site in August 2012. Current owners, Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, then launched an appeal which challenged this decision.

Once title is secured, a funding package will open up to help deliver the project.

Chairman of The Dreamland Trust, Nick Laister, said: “The Dreamland Trust was confident that the Secretary of State had made the right decision for the future of the Dreamland Margate site and we are delighted that this decision has been found to be a sound one. The residents and businesses of Thanet have waited too long to see this important tourism site come back to life, and this decision means that we should be able to finally make a start. We look forward to working with our partners Thanet District Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund in implementing the world’s first amusement park of thrilling historic rides.”

The Dreamland Trust and Thanet District Council are working in partnership to regenerate the site to create the world’s first amusement park of thrilling historic rides, classic side shows, vintage cafés, restaurants and gardens.

The project will also celebrate the British seaside and popular culture. It is a major part of Margate’s regeneration programme, creating volunteer, learning, training and employment opportunities for the local community.

Thanet District Council Chief Executive, Sue McGonigal, said: “Today’s ruling from the High Court comes as very welcome news. We now have a clear mandate to progress with our plans to deliver a brand new and unique visitor attraction for the South East. With overwhelming public support, and the vital funds in place, there has been no doubt about our commitment to see this project through. Getting to this point has certainly been frustrating, especially with the site left vacant and unused for a significant amount of time. Our focus now will be to progress with plans to dramatically regenerate Dreamland and I look forward to seeing the potential benefits this will bring to Margate.”

The news has been covered in the media here: Kent News, Isle of Thanet Gazette, This is Kent, Planning Magazine and BBC News. Nick Laister of The Dreamland Trust and Sue McGonigal of Thanet District Council both appeared on BBC South East Today television news on the evening of the decision. Nick also appeared on KMFM and appeared as a guest on the John Warnett Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Kent.

The evening started at 6pm with a brief welcoming address by Victoria Pomerey, the Director of Turner Contemporary. Then Nick Laister, chair of The Dreamland Trust, provided an update on the project and introduced the team. Designer Wayne Hemingway then presented his initial proposals and ideas, before Audience Development Officer Jan Leandro opened the floor for comments, suggestions and offers of help. The formal proceedings were followed by an opportunity for visitors to meet the team, including Project Director Mike Nuttall and Thanet District Council representative Grant Burton.
 

If the appeal by the landowners is unsuccessful, Thanet District Council will immediately begin the process of acquiring ownership of the site.

The council received approval from the Secretary of State for the Compulsory Purchase of the site in August 2012, following a public inquiry. The landowners then challenged the decision by the Secretary of State.

Thanet District Council is working in partnership with the Dreamland Trust to create a world first for the site, an amusement park of thrilling historic rides, with classic sideshows, vintage cafes, restaurants, and gardens with special events and festivals. 

• November 2012 Newsletter
• December 2012 Newsletter

The Isle of Thanet Gazette has reported that top designer Wayne Hemingway is in talks with The Dreamland Trust to provide expertise for the design of Dreamland. They also reported the results of a survey that show massive support for The Dreamland Trust's proposals for Dreamland.

Dreamland's Scenic Railway featured heavily in the national news a couple of weeks ago when English Heritage included the ride in its list of buildings at risk. This news was covered by BBC News England, BBC News World, ITV News, The Telegraph and The Guardian.

The October 2012 issue of the Dreamland Trust Newsletter is now available to download. This provides an update on work on the Dreamland Margate project by The Dreamland Trust. This has already been sent by email to all those who have signed up for the Campaign. If you would like to get a copy of the newsletter before it appears on this website, please join our mailing list.

The website This is Kent also featured a Dreamland story about the possible early opening of parts of the park for events next year.

Chair of The Dreamland Trust, Nick Laister, said: “The Dreamland Trust is delighted that the Secretary of State has backed our plans to reopen Dreamland as a major seaside visitor attraction of regional and national significance. Along with our partners, Thanet District Council, we were confident that our plans would be found to be robust, deliverable and in the public interest. The Trust was very pleased to support the council in its efforts to secure the site to enable us to implement our vision, which has been shown time and time again to be the development that the people of Thanet most want to see happen.

“The residents and businesses of Thanet, and its many existing and future visitors, have waited far too long for work on this project to start. With our funding in place and our plans drawn up, today’s news is hopefully the final major hurdle that we will have to cross.

“The Dreamland Trust is ready to make a start on site and we hope to have Stage One of the project fully open by Easter 2014.”

Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr Clive Hart, said: “I’m thrilled with today’s announcement. This is a key step to unlocking the regeneration of the Dreamland site and means we can start to move in the right direction, in partnership with The Dreamland Trust, to progress the future of the site which has been vacant for a significant amount of time.

“Dreamland is such an important asset for Thanet, and for thousands outside of the area, so we’ve always been clear that doing nothing is simply not acceptable.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work and determination to get to this point, with the council spending more than £1 million on carrying out urgent repairs to the neglected heritage assets.

“I’m thrilled that the Secretary of State is confident in our plans to help secure the regeneration of Dreamland, and today’s announcement moves us closer to delivering this greatly anticipated amusement park.”

The council will now work to secure title to the land, which it must acquire before access to the site can be granted and work can proceed. Securing title to the land will open up a funding package of over £10 million to deliver the project. Once the land is vested to the authority, the council will gain access to the site to allow important structural surveys to begin ahead of construction.

The council is working in partnership with The Dreamland Trust to create a world first for the site, an amusement park of thrilling historic rides, with classic side shows, cafés, restaurants, special events, festivals and gardens.

The project will also celebrate the British seaside and popular culture, with a focus on youth cultural heritage. It is a major part of Margate’s regeneration programme, creating volunteer, learning, training and employment opportunities for the local community. The project is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, the Department for Culture Media and Sport and Thanet District Council.

The news has also been covered by BBC News, BBC TV News, ITV News, The Independent, The Guardian, Daily Express, Attractions Management, Isle of Thanet Gazette and Kent Online. It is also being discussed on a number of forums, including the Save Dreamland Forum, All the Fun of the Fair, UK Rides and the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain.

The Dreamland Miniature Railway Pack depicts the real 15" gauge railway which was an important attraction at the Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate from 1920 until the line's closure in 1980. This pack depicts the route during the late 1950s era and includes rolling stock from throughout the line's history. This route offers a taste of amusement park life - can you operate a consistent and timely service and keep the visitors happy?
 

ITV's Meridian News interviewed Peter Beck of MTCRC (the current owner of Dreamland), who discussed their proposals for the site. Mr Beck explained that the MTCRC proposals - now rebranded 'Dreamland Live' - involve a residential-led development which would require use of all of the grant funding currently held by Thanet District Council and The Dreamland Trust. Click here to view.
 

Another major figure in the amusement park world, Jimmy Jones MBE, owner and former managing director of Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, also died last night aged 73. He was chairman of the Pleasure Beach until his death and was previously its managing director from 1975 to 1992, after which he handed over to his son Albert who remains managing director to the present day. Jimmy Jones expanded the Pleasure Beach significantly during his time at the helm. Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is home to the UK's only operating Scenic Railway.

Thanet District Council planning officer Ashley Hills will be giving evidence on Tuesday. Once her evidence finishes, the final witness, Dreamland Trust chair Nick Laister, will give his evidence to the inquiry. The current expectation is that Ashley Hills will take up most of Tuesday, with Nick Laister starting later on Tuesday and continuing through most of Wednesday.

On Thursday there will be a site visit and then each side will give its final statements to the Inspector before the inquiry closes. The inquiry is expected to close on Friday 9th March 2012 after four weeks of evidence.

The inquiry, which is being held at the offices of Thanet District Council in Margate, is open to the public all week, with visitors able to watch from the viewing gallery in the main council chamber.

The inquiry reopens again on 6 March when the Council's main witness, Ashley Hills, gives evidence, followed by the final witness, Dreamland Trust chair Nick Laister, who will give evidence on 6 and 7 March. The inquiry will then finish with a site visit and closing submissions from both sides.

Full details of the inquiry, along with summaries of each day's proceedings, can be found on the Dreamland Public Inquiry pages on the Thanet District Council website.

The Inquiry has been covered extensively in the local media: Your Thanet, Isle of Thanet Gazette, Thanet Extra on Friday 6th, Monday 9th and Friday 13th January, Kent on Sunday, BBC News, Kent News, This is Kent, Attractions Management. It has also been covered on CoasterBuzz, Ozseeker, Thanet Press Blog and  William Scobie's Blog.

The council is working in partnership with the Dreamland Trust to create a world first for the site, an amusement park of thrilling historic rides, with classic side shows, cafés, restaurants, special events, festivals and gardens. The project will also celebrate the British seaside and popular culture, with a focus on youth cultural heritage. It is a major part of Margate’s regeneration programme, creating volunteer, learning, training and employment opportunities.

• the restoration of the Grade II* listed Scenic Railway, the historic rides collection and the Grade II listed menagerie cages, along with repairs to the Grade II* listed Dreamland Cinema building,
• the reopening of the main park entrance,
• the introduction of a dedicated learning centre, exhibition area and community space,
• the refurbishment of the existing car park and new events space, which will also double as an overflow car park.

This is now fully funded, with £3.7 million from the Sea Change fund, £3 million from the council and £3 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The HLF grant will be available to fund project costs, once the council has demonstrated full control over the Dreamland site to the HLF’s satisfaction. Despite lengthy negotiations with the land owners, there was no progress in transferring the amusement park site to the council, leaving no option but to take CPO action.

Chair of The Dreamland Trust, Nick Laister, said: "The Dreamland Trust fully supports the action being taken by Thanet District Council to secure the regeneration of the Dreamland site. Given the lack of progress by the landowners, who have owned the site since 2005, it is essential that the CPO succeeds; otherwise this once-in-a-generation opportunity to reopen the park and repair these important listed buildings will be lost. We believe that our joint proposals for the site are deliverable, viable and will create a unique visitor attraction for Margate.

"There are no other proposals on the table that will retain the site as a tourist attraction, as required by the Local Plan, and which are deliverable and sustainable. Our proposals will keep the entire site in amusement park use and return Dreamland to the status that it enjoyed until very recently, at the heart of Margate's visitor appeal. I will be personally attending the public inquiry and giving evidence in support of the CPO on behalf of The Dreamland Trust."

Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr. Clive Hart, said: “Doing nothing on the Dreamland site is not acceptable. It’s already remained vacant and virtually unused for more than five years now and I understand the previous council administration has spent the last couple of years looking at various proposals from the landowners, trying to reach an amicable solution with them. It’s our view that the landowners’ proposals won’t achieve the regeneration of Dreamland.

“Having already spent a considerable amount of time and money trying to come to an agreement with the landowners, the council is left with compulsory purchase of the site as the only way forward. Dreamland is a precious asset, not just for people in Thanet, but the whole country and we cannot afford to lose it. The council and the Dreamland Trust have the desire, ambition and resources to get the first phase of work done on the site. This will then encourage further investment for future phases.”

The council’s contractors Coombs (Canterbury) Ltd. started work on the Dreamland Cinema building in May 2011, after the council served a series of Urgent Works Notices on the owners of the building. So far, structural repairs have been carried out to the steel frame and concrete and to the doors and windows, along with re-pointing. Some of the roof structure has also been replaced, due to its poor condition. The work is expected to be completed by the spring.

The Public Inquiry is expected to last for approximately two weeks, although as it will not sit every day, it may last until the end of January. The Inquiry is being held in the Council Chamber in Cecil Street, Margate and is open to the public. More details of the Inquiry can be found on the Council's website.

Once the Inquiry concludes, a report from the Planning Inspector is expected in late February or early March. This will then be submitted to the Secretary of State, who will make a decision on the case. This may not be known until May or June.

Councillor starts petition

Dane Valley ward councillor William Scobie has started a petition to present to the Inspector at the Inquiry. Up until the 10th January he will be running this petition to make it absolutely clear that people want Dreamland back up and running. If anyone is interested in getting involved in the petition please contact William on 07792416865 or email him. He is posting regular updates on how the petition is going on his blog.

On his blog, William says: "I am not going to suggest that this campaign is necessarily going to change the decision as they will be looking at the planning side of it, however we need to make sure that the Planning Inspector is in no doubt as to what the people of Margate and Thanet want for the Dreamland Site."

You can also help William by printing the petition and getting signatures yourself. It can be downloaded here.

CPO in the news

The Dreamland CPO Inquiry features extensively in the local press, including Your Thanet, Isle of Thanet Gazette and Kent Online,