Thanet council says it is confident that a £2m overspend on its budget for Dreamland this year will not impact on council taxpayers.

A report to the council’s cabinet this week says that costs have risen to over £6m this year, £2m above the expected budget.

The attraction opened its doors to the public in June after years of work. It is operated by Sands Heritage Limited.

The report states: “The Dreamland project is one of the largest regeneration schemes the council has ever undertaken and it has been challenging due to the unique nature of the assets involved.”

It says that the scheme, which has already cost £18m, is one in which budget changes are to be expected.

The overspend is being attributed mainly to what are described as “unforeseen works on site and the elongation of the project timeline due to the compulsory purchase process.”

It adds: “Professional fees have risen due to the requirement to maintain a professional team throughout the project’s duration.

“The elongation of the project timeline caused by the compulsory purchase of the site and the inability to undertake works during the park’s first summer season, has led to the increase in professional fee costs.”

The fees associated with the compulsory purchase order are put at £396,000.

The council said it did not want to pre-empt this week’s cabinet meeting and in a brief statement said: “The report reflects the latest expenditure projections in respect of the project.

“The projected overspend will not directly impact on the level of council tax.”