Dreamland
With all this talk of the delegations from the local council, going north and having discussions with amusement park operators elsewhere, why can't Thanet council, just suggest to the current owners, Margate Town Centre Regeneration company, that the only change of use they will ever receive, for the Dreamland site would be to turn it into a agricultural land. This way they might concentrate the business minds, behind this company, who appear to want to cash in, and increase the value of their land by building on it.
Thanet council is a facilitator in this matter, if they made it clear that they weren't about to give any favourable decisions as far as building was concerned, it would soon facilitate the Dreamland owners into using their asset as originally planned.
Apart from a putting a bulldozer through the site I'm not sure how you could make Dreamland look any worse than it does today.
I seem to remember when the Tories regained control of Thanet council, that they made statements suggesting that they had clear plans for Thanet, well so far I have seen nothing of that as far as it concerns Margate, the Turner centre appears to be nothing to do with them, they have purchased the Marks and Spencer's building and still apparently have no firm plans.
This administration seems clueless only able to mumble about regeneration, without actually completing anything.
The council have the money to do things is just ideas are in short supply.
I read in this weeks Gazette of Mr Miller's dream of taking on Goddens Dreamland. As someone who has no particular interest in Dreamland as a park, I am getting more confused week by week. Firstly, and to Mr Goddens huge benefit, the Council with no apparent agreement in place, bends over backwards and agrees to allow for other uses in the Local Plan, contrary to what we are told were the inspectors recommendations. I had always thought that some clever brains behind the scenes had a confidential masterplan, but now it would appear there was absolutely nothing. Mr Godden is now using the advantage gained in the local plan process as a gun to the Councils head, (surprise, surprise!) and is clearly intending to prove beyond all doubt that the site is not viable as an amusement park. Having given away a trump card, with absolutely nothing in return, the Council is now running off to Mr Miller in an apparent attempt to get him interested. If the Council think that Mr Godden will agree to a sale with a restricted fun park valuation, or will grant a long lease on reasonable terms, they must be barking mad. Mr Godden and his team, (including a past planning director for TDC, Mr Trevor Herron), have more brain cells than all of Council put together, and will run rings around a pathetic TDC.
ReplyDeleteIt seems clear that when, in another five years time (or longer), it is eventually accepted that no-one can negotiate with Mr Godden for a reasonable scheme on the site, the Council will have to use compulsory purchase powers. We will all then be made to pay the inflated price which our own Council so very kindly agreed to for Mr Godden in the local plan process. In the meantime Margate continues to die. The ineptitude and naivety is mindblowing!
Its clear maverick that Thanet council are without balls
ReplyDeleteTo somebody who grew up loving Dreamland and Pleasurama, the decline of both - which has occured under Jimmy Godden's stewardship - is utterly depressing.
ReplyDelete(A more rigourous attitude to fire safety - ahem - whouldn't go a miss, either.)
Talking of fires, what the hell's happening at Bleak House?!! (It's looking bleaker.)
Anyway, bring back the real big wheel!!! (It is to Margate what the Statue of Liberty is to Manhattan. And you wouldn't see Mayor Bloomberg flogging that to Mexico.)