THANET council is to consider plans to purchase part of the Dreamland site in Margate compulsorily, to ensure it reopens as a heritage amusement park.

The costs of pursuing a compulsory purchase order (CPO), an expensive legal purchase allowing councils to take over land or properties, will be discussed on Thursday.

The £12 million project for a heritage theme park on the Margate seafront site was bailed out by the council in April after the site's owner Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company (MTCRC) said it could not pay its £4 million share of the costs.

Thanet council agreed to pay the shortfall and as part of the deal will buy the site for a peppercorn cost of £1, and hand it over to the Dreamland Trust.

A July date for the land transfer passed without negotiations reaching a conclusion and Thanet council is keen to try and keep to the scheduled opening date of 2012.

Other areas for discussion include what sort of compensation the council might receive if they go ahead with the CPO and the value of the land.

There is still the opportunity for the land to be transferred without a compulsory purchase.

Toby Hunter, MTCRC's project coordinator, said: "We are still working towards a transfer of the land but the date is less certain. There has been a slippage but nothing has been derailed."

Mr Hunter added that the company planned to submit a planning application for houses, shops and a hotel on part of the site in spring.

The Dreamland Trust is shortly to make a decision about which rides will be restored first.