Audio: Dreamland campaigners secure £4m to build world's first heritage amusement park in Margate
An
artist's impression of the new-look Dreamland
by Martin Jefferies
Margate looks all set for a blast from the past after
campaigners secured £3.7million to turn their exciting heritage
amusement park plans into a reality.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) awarded the
cash to The Dreamland Trust to transform the desolate seaside
attraction into a world first, must-visit theme park.
The Grade II-listed Scenic Railway rollercoaster, the oldest in
the UK but severely damaged in a devastating fire last year, will
be restored to its former splendour as the centerpiece of the
project.
A collection of historic rides rescued from parks from around
the country will be repaired and returned to action, while the
Grade II-listed Dreamland cinema structure will also receive a
facelift.
It is hoped the site will ultimately become a centre for the
celebration of British popular culture, focusing especially on the
music and fashion of young people in the post-World War II
period.
Speaking on Monday, Margaret Hodge, Minister for Culture and
Tourism, said: "The idea of taking some of our very best heritage
of past amusement parks and turning it into something excellent to
encourage tourism today is really great."
Audio: Margaret Hodge,
Minister for Culture and Tourism, talks about the Dreamland
plans
Nick Laister, chairman of The Dreamland Trust, said: "This
proposal has the ability to create an outstanding attraction in
Margate, capitalising on the resort's unique heritage in a way that
will make a huge contribution to the regeneration of the town."
The millions of pounds awarded by the DCMS will be administered
through the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
(CABE) Sea Change programme, which is designed to reinvigorate
seaside towns through investment in culture and heritage.
Richard Simmons, chief executive of CABE, said: "Projects like
Dreamland demonstrate how culture can be a catalyst to recapture
the flair that these places enjoyed in their heyday. It's ambitious
plans like this, creating new national attractions, that can
rekindle the English love affair with our seaside."
The funding boost was welcomed by the many local organisations
which supported The Dreamland Trust's Sea Change application.
Richard Samuel, chief executive of Thanet District Council
(TDC), said the announcement was "everything we'd hoped for", while
Peter Beck, construction manager at Margate Town Centre
Regeneration Company, said it was a "considerable achievement".
The Dreamland Trust said the park would create considerable
employment opportunities and attract up to 700,000 people each
year.
Local people and visitors will be able to enter the park and
landscaped gardens free of charge, with wristbands being sold for
those who want to enjoy the rides.
Plans for a new-look Dreamland were first unveiled at a public
meeting in Margate in mid-March, attended by more than 400
people.
In July, campaigners were told they had been given £384,500 by
the Heritage Lottery Fund to kick-start the ground-breaking
project, with TDC pledging to pay an extra 10 per cent of that
figure.
A full application for £2.65million of Lottery support is
expected early next year. The total cost of the project is
estimated at £12million.
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Friday, November 13 2009
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