Compulsory Purchase Order for Dreamland Margate

[Ian]

Your Thanet report that the local council will purchase the Dreamland amusement park site in Margate.

In this era of cuts and prudence, it'll be interesting to see how they develop the park.

Thanet council is due to serve a Compulsory Purchase Order on the site of the Dreamland amusement park in Margate.

Long-held plans to redevelop the once-popular attraction as a heritage theme park have failed to move on, with the authority unable to reach an agreement with landowners the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company.

Thanet council 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."

 

[marc]

This is very good news for the park and in a way secures a future for it. The council will be able to sell it to someone if they want to that is interested in running it as a park and not turning into flats.

We have seen over the past few years that sea side parks are doing really well again, so they need to get this park open.

 

[Mark]

Hallelujah!

It is about time that Thanet Council did something. It has been a long time coming, but at least now they are standing by Dreamland and realising the potential it holds in terms of Margates regeneration.

Hopefully the compulosry purchase order will go through at a pace and we will start seeing some actual progress soon.

(PS. Would still love to see Philip Miller involved in this project in some way. He has worked wonders with AI and could be a real benefit to the park. )

 

[Ben]

Urgh, I just want the cred.

 

[STC]

When is the purchase actually completely finalized and ownership of the site transferred to the council/Save Dreamland?

As soon as it is purchased, will the repair of the Scenic start immediately?

 

[peep]

As far as I'm aware work has been carried out on the old cinema building for the last few months already. They only recently signed contracts for the refurbishment/re-building of the coaster with two companies. They are also looking for volunteers to help paint and small stuff like that too.

Still fantastic news though, means we will definitely see Dreamland rebuilt into something fantastic. Oh and I think they're still planning for the first phase to be ready for next Summer.

 

[Ian]

STC - Pass is the answer. I did call Thanet council earlier and they were none the wiser. The BBC have a report but there isn't much else on offer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-13273752

 

[marc]

The POV posted is really quiet upsetting as I remember the park when there were loads of rides there I really do hope they can turn this around and I am just shocked with what happened to the park.

 

[Beans]

I hope Scenic gets it's day agin, I loved riding it back in 1990 and hope it gets a facelift before I am too old.

 

[Ian]

From a historical and a "oh look, there's a brakeman" point of view, the Scenic is very interesting. Yes, I am sad that it burnt down and it's future has been in doubt, but it's still a boring ride.

 

[Mysterious Sue]

I think that's a really bad attitude to have Ian
Alright, so the ride might be boring, but that's not a reason not to keep it.
A heritage park would be about saving a piece of our past, and reflecting on how the industry has changed. The Scenic Railway is the only listed coaster in the country. If a fuss isn't made, it'll just go the way of Cyclone

I've posted these link a million times already, but have them again:
http://www.savedreamland.co.uk/
http://www.dreamlandmargate.com/
Somewhere on there are pictures of the ongoing cinema restoration and plans for the new site

 

[Ben]

Do we really NEED to "keep pieces of our history" though?

Is there really ANY potential in a "ride museum"? Museums struggle enough when it's about something quite universal, not something very few people CARE about.

I'm a historian and an enthusiast, and even I barely care. I just really don't see the heritage park as having much economic viability... By all means, build a park there, but, it's going to need SOMETHING from this century to work.

Plus, Scenic looks absolutely gash. I'd rather something good was the oldest in the country tbh.

 

[Ian]

I wouldn't say that it's a bad attitude to have, Sue, but let's not put a sheep in a pair of Mr Wolf's slacks here, it's not a thrilling ride experience. Significant and interesting yes, but thrilling no.

Out of interest, what is the oldest operating coaster in the UK now? Is it the Big Dipper at Great Yarmouth or something at Blackpool?

 

[spicy]

I think it is important to keep pieces of our history, although we don't necessarily NEED to.

I for one feel quite strongly about the scenic being rebuilt, as I would love to ride it and I find old coasters quite fascinating. Thats why I hope this park is rebuilt and it suceeds.

To see the Scenic go the way of the Cyclone would be horrible but luckily the futures looking good for the scenic.

 

[Mysterious Sue]

Big Dipper at PBB is the oldest operating (1923)
It's Roller Coaster at Great Yarmouth, and that is nearly a decade younger (1932)

I have a table, but for some reason it won't post here

 

[furie]

I wouldn't say that it's a bad attitude to have, Sue, but let's not put a sheep in a pair of Mr Wolf's slacks here, it's not a thrilling ride experience. Significant and interesting yes, but thrilling no.

It doesn't have to be thrilling though (sorry Ian, I know what you're saying, and I agree with you; just quoting you and replying to Ben :lol: ). It's essentially the country's oldest (and biggest.longest) kiddy coaster. It has a very low height limit to ride and is both historically interesting AND better than a Big Apple.

If the ride was closed, then guaranteed it would be replaced by a modern POS Pinfari or something (yes, POS stands for 'Pinfari Or Something' ).

I agree it's not worth getting teary eyed over because we're missing a fantastic piece of thrill engineering (this isn't the Crystal Beach Cyclone, Belle Vue Bobs or Aeroplane Coaster we're talking about here), but it is what it is - a simple, mildly thrilling family ride from the heyday of coasters.

As for the rest of the stuff, I'm in two minds. Personally I've always loved the idea of the heritage park. Done properly it could be as popular as The Black Country Museum or Beemish. As Ben says though, is it a bit too niche? Is it too singular. Both Beemish and TBCM may be Victorian "towns", but contain a variety of different sights, mines, cars, trams, farms, schools, shops, etc - there's a good chance there's something there that will spark interest in everyone.

However, there are some really curious attractions people don't see any more. As bone breaking as KSM is, it's a fantastic coaster (like Blackpool's Wild Mouse) simply because it's so insane. It's not fettered by modern h&s and rider comfort design restraints. It's thrilling because you feel in constant danger of life and limb, which is something you just don't get any more.

I think in Margate, the park will succeed. It needs something, and I think (as New Pleasureland has shown) that even if you throw in a load of **** together, you can still have a successful seaside park if there's enough draw. The problem is, Southport is a busy place but Margate is dying. NPL succeeds because Southport is draws a crowd naturally. Margate are relying on the park to bring a crowd in and help the town. I just don't know if it can do that?

 

[Mysterious Sue]

Up to 1980...

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool Big Dipper
Wood
Sit Down
1923 Operating

Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach
Roller Coaster
Wood
Sit Down
1932 Operating

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
Nickelodean Streak (Roller Coaster)
Wood
Sit Down
1933 Operating

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
Blue Flyer (Zipper Dipper)
Wood
Sit Down
1934 Operating

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
Grand National
Wood
Sit Down
1935 Operating

Joyland Amusement Park
Tyrolean Tubtwist
Wood
Sit Down
1950 Operating

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
Wild Mouse
Wood
Sit Down
1958 Operating

Mack's Amusements
Little Dipper
Steel
Sit Down
1975 Operating

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
Steeplechase
Steel
Sit Down
1977 Operating

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
Irn-Bru Revolution
Steel
Sit Down
1979 Operating

Clarence Pier
Skyways
Steel
Sit Down
1980 Operating

 

[Darkrider]

'Crystal Beach Cyclone, Belle Vue Bobs or Aeroplane Coaster'
The Cyclone (trio) must have been the most extreme coaster of all time!!
Wish the Bobs was still operating. What a sad and strange ending to one of the UK's best coasters.
It was dismantled ready for relocation, but as far as I could find out it was scrapped. The closure of the Bobs also helped lead to the demise of Belle Vue Zoo park.

 

[marc]

Its more thrilling than some of the new **** that is being built now days and called a family coaster . I also agree with Ian and Ben and what other have said, everyone has different views on it. For me its not thrilling either but it is history and I would rather see it up and running than parts of it in a warehouse somewhere. It does have happy memories for me, mainly going on it with my dad etc.

When I used to visit the park I would ride it maybe once or twice a day, I was more interested in the coaster next to it

I do not think the park has a strong future and that is what worries me, I can only really see people going maybe once or twice in a 5 year period if they do not add new things as well as old things I do hope I am wrong.

They way Southend has been in the past 2 years any theme park near the sea will do well due to the present climate so if they hurry and with the project they will get people there.