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.