The council agreed in May last year that it would start compulsory purchase proceedings on the Dreamland site, if terms were not agreed for the transfer of the freehold of the cinema building and land. At the time, this had been agreed in principle by the landowners. The land would then be transfered by the council to the Dreamland Trust on a long lease for a peppercorn rent. Since then, the council has held detailed negotiations with the landowners, but it has not been possible to agree an acceptable position to the council.
Dreamland Trust Chairman, Nick Laister said;
“We had hoped that the compulsory purchase of Dreamland would not be necessary, but any further delay could have jeopardised the project. Dreamland is an essential component of Margate’s regeneration, being in such a prominent location on the seafront as well as providing training and employment opportunities for Thanet. We are therefore pleased that we can now move forward with our preparations for starting work on this world’s first visitor attraction.”
