Dreamland fence goes back up
The planning department has told the owners of Dreamland to erect the barrier after earlier telling them to take down the a fence because permission had not been sought.
An urgent works notice to put up the fence was served last week after Thanet council said the owners needed to protect the Grade II listed site following an arson attack on the Scenic Railway in April.
Director of the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company Toby Hunter says the 2.4 metre metal fence is now nearly complete.
He said: “We did have exactly the same fence up around the site about 18 months ago. It does seem a bit daft but we have been asked to do it. The previous fence may have stopped anything happening to the railway but that's all speculation and who can say? We are working hard with the council to get things up and running on the site.”
The fire destroyed approximately 20 per cent of the tracks of the Scenic Railway, the workshop where the cars were housed and part of the station.
A Thanet council spokesman said: “A retrospective application was put into the council for the fencing but this was refused. Discussions were then held between the council and the owners of the site and the owners then put in a new planning application in 2007 which was approved. This fencing did not encircle the Scenic Railway.”
The ride first opened in 1920 and was the first amusement park ride to be Grade II listed in 2002.
Thanet council leader Sandy Ezekiel said: “We believe it's absolutely essential that measures are taken to preserve the Scenic Railway until repairs begin. The time has come for us to take action and that's what we're doing.”
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