Heritage Park Granted £3.7m
The likelihood of the world’s first heritage theme park got a boost this week thanks to a £3.7 million grant from the Government’s Sea Change fund.
Minister for Tourism Margaret Hodge announced the grant approval in Margate last Monday.
The funds, which represent the largest amount collected recently for the project, will contribute to creating a heritage theme park on the Dreamland site.
The goal of Dreamland is to have a theme park featuring old amusement rides such as merry-go-rounds and wooden roller coasters. Some of these will be rescued from other parks and be restored and reassembled at the park. It is said that some of the rides are the last surviving examples.
Dreamland is planning to install the rides around the park’s centerpiece, UK’s oldest surviving wooden roller-coaster called the Scenic Railway.
Much of the old roller coaster suffered extended fire damage in April of last year but is currently being restored.
The theme park project also includes a restoration of the distinctive fin-shaped Grade II-listed Dreamland cinema building.
The Dreamland theme park project was made possible by an association comprising of The Dreamland Trust, the Margate Renewal Partnership, the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company and Thanet council, which submitted the application.
Benefiting from a match-funding of 10 per cent from Thanet council, The Dreamland Trust has already booked a first-round pass of £548,000 stemming from the Heritage Lottery Funding.
The Dreamland Trust chairman Nick Laister said that the recent news was great and helps to deliver a world-first visitor attraction.