Plans to transform a Kent fun fair into the world’s first ever heritage amusement park go on display for the first time this weekend.

Campaigners are hoping to rebuild Dreamland in Margate at a cost of £12million.

The new park would be based around the iconic Scenic Railway, badly damanged by fire last year, and would feature dozens of historic rides that have been saved from demolition at ailing attractions across the country.

Construction work could start before the end of this year, with the new-look Dreamland opening to the public in late 2011 or early 2012.

Nick Laister, chairman of the Dreamland Trust, said the park would be a "completly unique attraction".

Audio: Listen to Nick Laiser, chairman of the Dreamland Trust, talking to kmfm's Martin Jefferies >>>

He added: "Margate’s main selling point is the iconic Scenic Railway, so where better place to build the world’s first heritage amusement park than next to the UK’s most famous piece of amusement park heritage?

"We don’t want to compete with Thorpe Park or Alton Towers; these big, modern, inland parks with the latest hi-tech rides.

"We want to bring back something that has largely disappeared in the UK; the spectacular seaside amusement park that has generally died out over the last century."

Rides such as 'River Caves' and 'Caterpillar', which date back to the 1920s and were rescued from Southport’s defunct Pleasureland, have already been secured. Another rollercoaster, the 'Water Chute', has been acquired from the former Ocean Beach fun fair in Rhyl.

Plans for the heritage amusement park go on display at 7.30pm on Sunday at the West Coast Bar, King Street, Margate.

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