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Dreamland consultation
Plans to regenerate one of the key sites in
Margate have received backing from the public, with the majority of
people agreeing with Thanet District Council’s suggestions for the
Dreamland site.
The planning guidance was developed by the
Council, liaising with a number of other organisations, including
the Margate Renewal Partnership, SEEDA, Kent County Council,
English Partnerships and the Save Dreamland Campaign. It sets out
guidance to developers as to what the Council would expect in any
further planning application for the site.
The brief proposes a mixed scheme, with the
majority of the site, including the listed Dreamland building and
Scenic Railway, kept as part of an amusement based destination,
along with an element of other development, including residential.
There was strong support for keeping the Scenic Railway, with 92%
of people either strongly agreeing or agreeing with this, while 97%
of those who responded either strongly agreed or agreed with the
idea of keeping more than 50% of the site as an amusement park.
More than 85% of people wanted the Dreamland Cinema building kept
for leisure uses, with nearly three quarters favouring the
provision of a 250 space public car park.
There was less support for associated enabling
development, including family homes and apartments, with 55%
disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with this idea. However, this
type of development is needed to fund the provision and operation
of a high quality amusement park in the future and, in response to
these concerns from local people, the brief has now been amended to
explain this fully.
Cllr. Roger Latchford, Cabinet Member for
Culture and Economy, said: “We have listened to local people’s
views and understand their concerns about the idea of enabling
development on the Dreamland site. We also hear what people are
saying about wanted to keeping the majority of the site as an
amusement park, but unfortunately, one is unlikely to happen
without the other. The simple truth is that some level of
residential development would fund the future running of an
amusement park on the site and we have to be realistic about
that.”
The Save Dreamland Campaign have said that they generally
support the brief, but want to ensure that more than half the site
remains as an amusement park. Consultants acting on behalf of
Waterbridge, the present owners of the site, were generally
supportive of the brief, but sought to achieve more flexibility in
terms of land use. Consultants for Freshwater, the leaseholders of
Arlington Square, are also supportive of the brief.
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