by Jess Banham

Plans to turn Dreamland into the world's first heritage amusement park are in jeopardy as the owners are set to appeal a decision granting Thanet council the land.

The authority last month won its case to get a compulsory purchase order for one of Margate's most iconic landmarks.

But the current owners - DreamlandLive - are vowing that the fight is not over.

Chief executive Toby Hunter said: "At this stage we're almost certainly going to appeal - it's not the final decision, but it's pretty much concluded that we will appeal.

"If the council had offered us money for the whole site and it was a sum of money we could have accepted then we would have walked away."

Dreamland has been vacant and unused for the past seven years.

Thanet District Council intends to spend £10million converting the decaying site into the world's first heritage amusement park featuring historic rides.

Mr Hunter added: "I actually think the heritage amusement park would fail.

"I don't think Margate would get a future, I think they'd get a very large piece of tarmac that's closed for three or four months of the year and a poor selection of rides."

The owners have six weeks to challenge the decision in the High Court.

If they decided to appeal, it could delay the council's plans for months.

Mr Hunter concluded: "It's our site - if I said to someone how long do you intend to live in your house for and they said 50 years - I wouldn't berate them for it or suggest they're holding back a community."

Thanet District Council declined to comment.