A COMPULSORY purchase order has been served by Thanet council on part of the Dreamland site in Margate.

Thanet council issued the order today (Friday) after briefing press and media about the move yesterday.

It covers part of the site which has been earmarked for a heritage amusement park.

The site is the property of the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company (MTCRC) and two other firms linked to the same owners.

The move comes after plans to redevelop the area into a heritage theme park failed to progress because of a stalemate in negotiations between Thanet council and the MTCRC over the scale of development that would be permitted on the remainder of the site.

Thanet council's chief executive Sue McGonigal said the authority had no choice but to proceed because if progress is not made on land aquisition then the Dreamland Trust which is behind the heritage park scheme would lose the funding it has to make the project happen.

Leader of Thanet council Bob Bayford said: "The council would obviously prefer to have reached agreement with the landowners over the Dreamland site, but sadly that's not been possible.

"The simple truth is that we may lose the grant funding for this project, if we can't secure the ownership of the land."

All the landowners affected by the CPO are now being contacted and they have the right to make an objection in writing.

A public inquiry could be held if any objections to the CPO are made.