Could Dreamland be about to return to its brilliant best?

by Martin Jefferies

Plans to build the world's first heritage amusement park in Margate have taken another giant step forward.

The project has been awarded a £3m grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to help create a unique visitor attraction at Dreamland.

The project has already been given £3.7m by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and £4m from Thanet council.

Attractions would include the Grade II*-listed Scenic Railway, which was badly damaged in an arson attack three years ago, and other historic rides, saved from theme parks across the country.

Around 350,000 people would visit every year, according to The Dreamland Trust, the organisation behind the project.

An artist's impression of how a revived Dreamland could look

Chairman Nick Laister said: "This puts in place all the funding we now need to enable us to reopen Dreamland Margate and secure the future of its three remarkable listed structures – the Scenic Railway roller coaster, Dreamland Cinema and 'Lord' George Sanger's menagerie cages.

"this project has huge potential to entertain, intrigue, and delight..." – stuart mcleod, heritage lottery fund

"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'd like to thank our partners, Thanet council, our consultant team and, most of all, our supporters for sticking with us for so many years. Hold tight – we're nearly there!"

Cllr Bob Bayford, leader of Thanet council, added: "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."

The Grade II*-listed Scenic Railway would form the centrepiece of the park

The HLF money will be released once a compulsory purchase order on the Dreamland site has been confirmed.

This was served in June and is subject to a public inquiry, due to start in January 2012.

The first stage of the project will involve the restoration of the Scenic Railway and the historic rides collection to full working condition, as well as repairs to Dreamland Cinema and the reopening of the main park entrance.

The full restoration of the cinema is planned for a later date.

Stuart McLeod, south east head of the Heritage Lottery Fund, which has supported 30,000 projects and awarded grants worth £4.7 billion to date, 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."