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,

Contractors have been carrying out major repairs to the grade II* listed Cinema building since May 2011. The work was started after a series of Urgent Works Notices were served on the owners of the building earlier this year. To date, the contractors have been carrying out re-pointing and structural repairs to the steel frame and concrete, and to the doors and windows. Some of the roof structure has also had to be replaced, due to its poor condition. The work is expected to be completed by spring 2012.

The majority of the exterior work to the Cinema building has now been completed, with the next phase due to look at the interior. This will include restoring power to the organ, which has not been used since power was cut off to it in 2005. Once power is restored, the council will be inviting David Wattenbach, who rebuilt the organ following the 1987 hurricane, to assess its condition.

More photographs on our Facebook page.

Of his new appointment Mike said; “I am genuinely excited by the opportunity to help deliver Dreamland and work with the local community and stakeholders to make sure the next, exciting phase of Margate's regeneration story unfolds successfully. This is all about fun, excitement and ensuring the local community is at the heart of Dreamland”.

Chair of The Dreamland Trust, Nick Laister, said: "I am delighted to welcome Mike Nuttall to the Dreamland Trust. Mike brings a strong commercial focus to the project, which is really important at this stage as we move towards making a start on site. Mike's knowledge, energy and enthusiasm for tourism-based regeneration, particularly at seaside resorts, makes him the perfect man for the job and he joins us at a really exciting time for the project. Welcome on board the Dreamland roller coaster Mike!"

The news of Dreamland's success also now features on the Heritage Lottery Fund website, taking pride of place as its lead story.

The story is covered in the local press, including the Thanet Times, KMFM, YourThanet and Kent News. Nationally, the news was covered by The Guardian and BBC News. Attractions Management and Planning magazine also covered the news. The news has been reported and discussed across the internet, including Airgates, UK Park News, the Save Dreamland Forum and both the official Dreamland Margate and Save Dreamland Facebook pages.

In other news, Joyland Books has reduced the price of the Nick Evans book Dreamland Remembered: 90th Anniversary Edition from £15.99 to £11.99. Click here.

The HLF grant is match funding to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Sea Change grant of £3.7m and Thanet District Council’s contribution of £4m.  The money will be used by the Dreamland Trust to restore Dreamland Margate and create a unique visitor attraction for the UK - the world’s first amusement park of historic rides with classic side shows, cafés, restaurants, special events, festivals and gardens and a celebration of our British seaside and popular culture with youth culture heritage at its heart.

Nick Laister, Chairman of The Dreamland Trust said; “The Dreamland Trust is delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded our project a substantial grant. This puts in place all the funding we now need to enable us to reopen Dreamland Margate and at the same time secure the future of its three remarkable listed structures, the Scenic Railway roller coaster, Dreamland Cinema and ‘Lord’ George Sanger’s Menagerie cages. These will form the centrepieces of the world’s first amusement park of thrilling historic rides, which will open at Dreamland in summer 2013.

"On behalf of The Dreamland Trust I would like to thank our partners, Thanet District Council, our consultant team and, most of all, our supporters for sticking with us for so many years. Hold tight – we’re nearly there!”

Stuart McLeod, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for the South East, said: “This project has huge potential to entertain, intrigue, and delight. As Margate’s answer to an early Disneyland, the Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to award this substantial investment to Dreamland, and once restored to its former glory it will not only bring alive the historic rides of yesteryear but boost tourism too.”

Dreamland’s origins date back to the 1860s when the site, then known as the Hall by the Sea, was operated by the well-known caterers, Spiers and Pond.  In 1874 the famous circus showman, ‘Lord’ George Sanger took over the site introducing his menagerie of wild and exotic animals.  The site was later taken over by entrepreneur, John Henry Iles in 1919 who spent 20 years developing the site into Dreamland.  The park last operated in 2006 and since then has hosted a number of major events.

Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr. Bob Bayford, said: “We’re delighted with this news, especially as it completes the funding needed for the first stage of the project. Dreamland is a key site for Margate’s regeneration and that’s why the council has been working with the Dreamland Trust to bring it back into use. This year is turning out to be a major milestone for Margate’s regeneration, with the opening of Turner Contemporary and the hundreds of thousands of visitors they have bought to the town, the Queen’s visit and now this announcement from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Our next job is now to get the Compulsory Purchase Order confirmed, so that Margate can be home to a world first that will attract thousands more to the town.”

The HLF funding will be released once the Compulsory Purchase Order on the site has been confirmed and will allow for completion of Stage 1 of the first phase of the project involving the restoration of the Grade II* listed Scenic Railway to full working condition – including construction of a new Scenic Railway station to replace the original one destroyed by an arson attack in 2008, restoration of the historic rides collection and Grade II listed menagerie cages, repairs to the Grade II* listed Dreamland Cinema and reopening of the main park entrance along with landscaping works. 

The second phase of the project will be the installation of further rides and then the full restoration of the Cinema building, which is subject to funding. The partners are confident this grant award and emerging interest in the project will stimulate further investment in the Project.

Click here to see the new Dreamland Masterplan, which shows around 50% of the site used for rides, with the remainder used for parking and events. Rides and attractions are then likely to expand onto some of this additional land over the coming years. And click here to see an artist's impression of the newly designed Scenic Railway station.

Under Thanet District Council’s urgent works notice it has been possible to restore the distinctive 1970s lighting scheme as a glowing invitation to the new Dreamland. The letters were removed and sent to a specialist company to be restored; this involved removing the yellow paint, polishing, re-wiring, painting the sides, replenishing the bulbs and on-ground testing. The letters are being remounted as the contractor’s work progresses down the fin, with each letter being individually tested in situ.

You can view photos of the work being carried out on the signs at the Save Dreamland Campaign Facebook page.

The application is being reconsidered by Thanet District Council following the decision by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to upgrade the listing of the Scenic Railway from Grade II to Grade II*.

Dreamland Trust Chairman Nick Laister states: “We have reviewed the expert report produced for Thanet District Council, which was funded by the developer, and this seems to largely rely on the fact that the setting of the Scenic Railway is already degraded. It fails to recognise that the park is to be rebuilt and that English Heritage has been closely involved in this project so was fully aware of it when advising that the listing of the Scenic Railway should be upgraded. We believe that this work needs to be reviewed in the knowledge that the setting of the Scenic Railway is not lost and is likely to be seriously undermined by this development.”

Dreamland is mentioned in a BBC News report into Oscar-winning Hollywood filmmaker Arnold Schwartzman's return to his home town of Margate to make a documentary.

You can also follow Dreamland on Twitter. And don't forget the Dreamland Forum for lively discussion on the future of the park and the Save Dreamland Campaign's Facebook page.

The artist's impression to the right (click the photo to enlarge) shows how the proposed store will affect the setting of the Scenic Railway. If you would like to comment on this planning application, you can do so here.

Dreamland Trust Chairman, Nick Laister, has made the following statement to the media: "It is wonderful news that the Scenic Railway listing has been upgraded from Grade II to Grade II*. The Scenic Railway was listed Grade II in March 2002, and this amendment to its status is an entirely appropriate recognition for this rare and vulnerable structure, coincidentally coming exactly 10 years after I first wrote to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in July 2001 asking them to consider listing the ride.

The news has been covered by BBC News, Kent Online, Kent News and GoUK. There are also online discussions about the news at CoasterForce and RCCGB. The full press release from Thanet District Council is here and the release from English Heritage is here.

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. The project has already received funding from the council, Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The council has worked with landowners, the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company (MTCRC) to try and achieve the transfer of the amusement park site, but with no success to date. The funding that has been secured is also dependent on the council getting a long lease on the site, which has not been possible so far.

As a result, the council agreed to start compulsory purchase proceedings on the site, if terms could not be agreed for the transfer of the freehold of the cinema building and land. Agreement has not been reached with the landowners, who wanted guarantees about the scale of development which would be allowed on the rest of the site. The council was unable to give these guarantees.

The statement of reasons, part of the Compulsory Purchase Order documents, talks about the situation with the landowners, stating that:

The Compulsory Purchase Order covers the whole Dreamland site, to the foot of the embankment of the railway line at the southern boundary, Arlington Square to the west and the rear of properties along Belgrave and Eaton Roads to the east. The site also includes the grade 2* listed Dreamland cinema building along Marine Terrace.

Leader of the Council, Cllr. Bob Bayford, said: “The council would obviously prefer to have reached agreement with the landowners over the Dreamland site, but sadly that’s not been possible. The simple truth is that we may lose the grant funding for this project, if we can’t secure the ownership of the land. Significant funds are being invested in this project and we are not prepared to jeopardise that investment in the town. We also know how important the regeneration of Dreamland is to both local people and Margate’s economic future. That’s another reason for taking this action. It’s a key site for the town and, along with Turner Contemporary, we believe what’s being planned for Dreamland will help to turn Margate’s fortunes around.”

Chair of the Dreamland Trust, Nick Laister, said: “We had hoped that the compulsory purchase of Dreamland would not be necessary, but any further delay could have jeopardised the project. Dreamland is an essential component of Margate’s regeneration, being in such a prominent location on the seafront, as well as providing training and employment opportunities for Thanet. We are therefore pleased that we can now move forward with our preparations for starting work on this world first visitor attraction.”

The new Dreamland will be the world’s first amusement park of thrilling historic rides with classic sideshows, vintage cafes, special events and gardens.

All the landowners affected by the Compulsory Purchase Order are now being contacted. They have the right to make an objection in writing. If this happens, then a Public Inquiry could be held. If the Compulsory Purchase Order is confirmed, then the council would be given the freehold of the site, meaning that the plans for Dreamland can proceed.

All of the documentation associated with the CPO can be downloaded from a special page on the Thanet District Council website. This confirms that the remaining areas of the park, outside the heritage amusement park, will be reserved for public events, car parking for Dreamland and for possible park expansion. The full area covered by the CPO can be viewed here.

BBC News is reporting that the owners of Dreamland, MTCRC, will object to the Order, which will mean a public inquiry will need to be held. The news has also been covered by Meridian News, Kent on Sunday and This is Kent.

Thanet District Council and the Dreamland Trust are working in partnership to create a unique visitor attraction for Margate, which will secure the town’s regeneration and boost the local economy. The new Dreamland will be the world’s first amusement park of thrilling historic rides with classic sideshows, vintage cafes, restaurants, special events and gardens.

Millions of pounds have already been invested by the council, Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Heritage Lottery Fund to bring this project to fruition.

Since then, the council has held detailed negotiations with the landowners, but it has not been possible to agree an acceptable position to the council. As a result, the council’s Cabinet agreed on Thursday 28 April to launch compulsory purchase proceedings.

Chief Executive Richard Samuel said: “We are determined to continue the regeneration of Margate, which has already seen an enormous boost with the opening of Turner Contemporary, with the project to open a world first at Dreamland. Because of the importance of this site to the town’s future, we need to take action to ensure that the heritage amusement park goes ahead. Huge amounts of money have already been invested to bring this project to fruition and we can wait no longer for agreement from the landowners. This is not something we wanted to do, but the failure of the owners to reach a sensible agreement has left us with no choice but to take compulsory purchase action. We have been in negotiations for many months now and we feel that we have been generous to a fault. This project needs to go ahead. We are fully committed to supporting the Dreamland Trust in making this happen and that’s why we’re taking this action.”

Chair of the Dreamland Trust, Nick Laister, said: “The Dreamland Trust is delighted that Thanet District Council has shown its strong commitment to the Dreamland Margate project and is proceeding with the compulsory purchase of the Dreamland amusement park site. With all the technical work now complete and a substantial part of the funding in place, the acquisition of the site by the Council will allow the Trust to commence work on the implementation of what is a key project for the regeneration of Margate. We look forward to working with Thanet District Council and our other partners to deliver the world's first amusement park of thrilling historic rides on the Dreamland site."

Dreamland will provide training and employment for the local community and help re-establish Margate as a top visitor destination.

This news is reported at BBC News, KentOnline, Heart and This is Kent, and was featured this evening on Meridian Tonight and BBC South East TV news. Click here for the press release on the Thanet District Council website.

With the press preview for the Turner Contemporary last week, media interest in Margate and Dreamland is high. The Telegraph interviews Dreamland Trust director and Shell Grotto owner Sarah Vickery, who tells Joanne O'Connor that she believes Dreamland will be more important to Margate's regeneration than the Turner Contemporary. Dreamland is also mentioned in an article in the Guardian.

Dreamland was recently mentioned in an article in the Guardian.

More photographs of progress at Dreamland have been added to the Construction Gallery.

The Dreamland Trust's project director, Jonathan Bryant, has stated that despite the delays in the land transfer the Trust will continue to work to ensure there are attractions on-site for 2011 and 2012: "The official opening may be put back slightly, but we are committed to offering attractions this year and next. We have always said this is a phased project." More details of the attractions to be made available at Dreamland will be released as plans progress.
 

Dreamland Trust chairman Nick Laister says: "I have known John Lawson for several years and am delighted that he is bringing his circus to Dreamland. It is a fantastic show, and truly deserves the many awards it has won. I hope people will support this event."

Performance times at Dreamland in the heated big top are on weekdays at 4:30pm and 7:30pm, Saturday 5th March at 2pm and 5pm and Sunday 6th March at 2pm only. All seats are £8 with a special offer of all seats being £6 at both shows on Wed 2nd. Ticket office on site daily from Mon 28th Feb or Tel: 07860 49 88 33. Disabled access and parking available.

The author of It Must Be True...It Was In The News!, Reflections: v. 1 and Reflections: v. 2 has written a poem about his childhood visits to Dreamland and his hopes for the future of the park called Remembering the Golden Mile.

For other poems and stories, visit our Features page.

Departing Thanet Council chief executive Richard Samuel says he is excited about Dreamland in the Isle of Thanet Gazette. And The Guardian mentions Dreamland in a look at "mouldy old" Margate.
 

We have also added a new photo gallery showing Dreamland park maps and leaflets through the years.

We have added some more photos of progress at Dreamland in our Construction Photo Gallery.

Thanks also to Peter Sutton for sending some fantastic photos of Dreamland between 1969 and 2006. The new Peter Sutton Gallery includes a rare photo of the Astro-Liner ride (right).

And don't forget to visit the construction gallery of work at the Dreamland site, which is updated regularly.

A second article in today's Gazette looks forward to work starting on the Scenic Railway early next year once the company has been selected to carry out the work. The Dreamland Trust is considering tenders submitted by various international wooden roller coaster specialists.

The Save Dreamland Campaign website will be following progress with the works at Dreamland in a special photo gallery. We have already uploaded photographs from the first few days of work.

Chairman of the Dreamland Trust Nick Laister comments: "Seeing this important restoration work start on the Cinema is a fantastic end to 2010 and will be closely followed early next year with works to the Scenic Railway. We still have significant hurdles to cross, but we are going into 2011 with the prospect of seeing Dreamland transformed over the next 12 months. On behalf of the Dreamland Trust, I would like to thank all of the Campaign's members for their continued support and wish everybody a very Merry Christmas."

The December 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 new website is launched on the day that visible work starts at Dreamland, with the Cinema building now fenced off along Marine Terrace to allow for scaffolding to be erected from tomorrow. Work on the cinema roof and electrics should start in January, then in February/March we are expecting work to start on the restoration and rebuild of the Scenic Railway roller coaster. We will keep you updated on progress and will post photographs as work gears up.

The celebration runs from 18 to 24 December 2010 at 10am-4pm daily. Find us at The Pie Factory, Broad Street, Margate CT9 1EW.

FREE entry, no booking required, just a pocket full of loose change!

Nick Laister was recently interviewed by G-Force Mag.

Booking is essential, by phoning Nicola on 07845 979024. The event is to be held at the Margate Media Centre, King Street, Margate CT9 1DA.

For a large PDF flyer, click on the image to the right.

Issue 7 of the Dreamland Trust Newsletter is now available to download. This provides an update on work on the Dreamland Margate project.

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.

In the same edition, Thanet District Council's heritage development advisor Nick Dermott writes about some of his favourite architecture in Thanet, one of which is the Scenic Railway.

In other news, Dreamland was mentioned in last week's launch of the Margate Arts, Creativity and Heritage Programme, as reported in Your Thanet News.

And finally a belated mention of the death of local historian Mick Twyman last month, who was a good friend of the Save Dreamland Campaign and will be sadly missed by all of us.
 

Michelle Stratton reviews the conference on amusement park history that took place in Southport in April, at which Nick Laister spoke about the proposals for the world's first amusement park of historic rides at Dreamland. There were also talks on the demise of Pleasureland and the legacy of London's Battersea Fun Fair.

The major Dreamland item is a two-page article by heritage consultant Jason Wood, who has been directly involved in the Dreamland project. In this article, Wood sets out the background to the Dreamland proposals and why that inspired him to organise the Southport conference. View the two articles.

A total of 12 different venues will be throwing open their doors next month, as part of Heritage Open Days, which runs from Thursday 9 September until Sunday 12 September. It’s been organised under the banner of Margate Arts, Creativity, Heritage (MACH). Click here for a programme of events in Margate. More here: www.heritageopendays.org.uk

Dave will be taking part in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most number of people riding a rollercoaster naked, whilst also raising funds for charity.

The existing record is 32 people, and was set on Nemesis at Alton Towers back in 2004.

The attempt – involving 40 people - will be on the Green Scream rollercoaster at Adventure Island on Sunday 8th August. The aim is to raise awareness and funds for the Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation's Bosom Pals appeal.

This appeal hopes to raise £750,000 to bring state-of-the-art imaging and diagnostic equipment to the Hospital's breast care unit. In addition to providing two digital mammography machines, the appeal will also fund the latest x-ray and biopsy equipment, enhancements to scanning machines and an improved environment for patients.

“My target is to raise £300, and every couple of pounds pledged really helps,” says Dave. “I’m also hoping that one day in the not too distant future we’ll be able to stage a new record attempt on the rebuilt Scenic Railway!”

To support Dave please go to www.justgiving.com/David-Collard

Right: Man of mystery. Dave Collard reveals all in Southend in August!

Following three years of discussions between Richard Ryan and Dreamland Trust Chairman Nick Laister, the deal was finally done earlier this year. The inspection and transport of the ride was organised by Jonathan Bryant and Bob Preedy of the Dreamland Trust.

The wheel was designed by Henri Corbiére, a French engineer, and built by ARM (UK) LTD. The design was state of the art at the time. The design was probably the first to have 'spherical motion' i.e. the whole wheel revolves around its base as well as the normal vertical plane, such that the gondolas travel in a gentle spiral path describing a sphere through space. This concept required new thinking in respect to the design and construction of the wheel.

In other news, the $5,000 donation by the American Coaster Enthusiasts continues to receive news coverage, including birminghamwired.co.uk and Attractions Management, and blog site Big News Margate.

"Happy birthday! 90 years is quite an achievement for a person let alone a rollercoaster. Well done to everyone who has played a part in the success of your Scenic Railway. We are honoured to be able to wish you all well on this great day.

"Dave Collard keeps us well informed here at Melbourne’s Luna Park with the progress of your historic amusement park due to open in 2012 and we are very excited as it draws closer. How lucky you are to have someone on board who has so much passion and enthusiasm for the project.

"So we say raise a glass to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the opening of Margate’s Scenic Railway and many more to come.

"Congratulations from all the team at Luna Park, Melbourne, Australia."

The Scenic Railway is the United Kingdom’s oldest roller coaster and will be the centrepiece in the world’s first amusement park of thrilling historic rides at Dreamland Margate, being developed by the Dreamland Trust. The Trust announced its plans for a spectacular new 21st Century tourist attraction at the Dreamland Amusement Park site in 2007. Work on the project, which will cost £12.5m, is expected to start later this year.

ACE was founded in 1978 as a not-for-profit, all volunteer club to foster and promote the conservation, appreciation, knowledge and enjoyment of the art of the classic wooden roller coaster and the contemporary steel coaster.

President of ACE, Mark Cole, says: “The Scenic Railway is one of very few coasters of this type in the world. Our support of the Dreamland Trust and their mission to return the coaster to operational status is similar to the work that ACE did to restore the oldest coaster in the world several years ago. Preservation is a major part of the formation and continued work of ACE. We look forward to returning to ride Scenic Railway in the not to distance future”.

Celebrate the Scenic Railway's 90th birthday tonight in Margate at the Lighthouse Bar from 6pm. Everybody is welcome!