The Dreamland Heritage Trust has expressed ‘sadness’ following the news that bosses at Dreamland in Margate will no longer run the Grade II* listed Scenic Railway.
Yesterday (January 27) it was revealed that Dreamland has informed Thanet council the ride is no longer ‘viable’
The Scenic Railway, which marks its 106th anniversary this year, was put out of action by damage to the wooden track in the summer of 2024.
It has not been in operation since that date and now Thanet councillors have been informed that an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has advised Dreamland that to operate the ride they would need to implement a daily inspection routine.
Dreamland says it is not viable for them to complete these daily inspections, which they say engineers indicate would take up to five hours each day, and so the view is that the park is no longer able to operate the ride and it will be put ‘into retirement.’
The Dreamland Heritage Trust was formed out of the Save Dreamland campaign which ran from 2003 until the park’s eventual, first reopening in 2015.
The Dreamland Heritage Trust said it noted the news with ‘sadness’ and highlighted that previous funding was for the ride’s operation until 2037.
It added: “Dreamland Heritage Trust, formerly The Dreamland Trust, was established following the Save Dreamland Campaign and played a central role in negotiating and securing major capital funding for the full restoration, continued repair, and operation of the Scenic Railway. This funding included grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Sea Change, and the Coastal Communities Fund, and was explicitly intended to support the Scenic Railway’s ongoing operation for a period lasting until 2037.
“We recognise the technical complexities and economic challenges associated with maintaining and operating such a unique and historic attraction. However, it was our understanding, and the basis on which this funding was secured, that the resources provided were sufficient to ensure the continued existence and operation of the Scenic Railway throughout this agreed period.
“The Dreamland Heritage Trust (DHT) is therefore particularly disappointed that, despite repeated attempts to engage, the current owners of Dreamland, did not involve the DHT in discussions regarding the future of the Scenic Railway.
“As the oldest roller coaster in the UK and one of only a small number of wooden roller coasters remaining worldwide, the Scenic Railway holds heritage significance of national and international importance. This status is formally recognised through its Grade II* listing, denoting a structure of exceptional historic interest.
“DHT remains committed to promoting and safeguarding the unique heritage of Dreamland. Through our extensive archive and ongoing work, we will continue to share the story and significance of the Scenic Railway and Dreamland Park with the public.
“In this context, we welcome Sands Heritage/Live Nation’s announcement of a pop-up exhibition celebrating the history of the Scenic Railway and note positively their stated intention to host a public engagement event inviting ideas for its future. Meaningful consultation will be essential in shaping any long-term vision for this landmark structure.
“Given the Scenic Railway’s prominent position within Dreamland, we hope these commitments will ensure it retains a central and active role within the park, avoiding the fate of other historic Dreamland buildings, such as the former cinema which is currently closed to the public, and the Buffet Building, which continues to deteriorate and instead allowing the Scenic Railway to remain a visible and valued part of Dreamland’s living heritage.
“The Dreamland Heritage Trust stands ready to contribute constructively to discussions about the Scenic Railway’s future and reiterates its commitment to ensuring that this irreplaceable icon is preserved, respected, and meaningfully enjoyed by future generations.”
Save Dreamland and beyond
Residents rallied behind the 12 year effort to save the Scenic Railway and the amusement park when it was threatened with closure.
Led by planning expert Nick Laister, the campaign and the Dreamland Trust were instrumental in securing £3.7m Sea Change funding from the government in 2009.
This was followed by Thanet council taking ownership of the park by compulsory purchase in September 2013, which was unsuccessfully challenged in the High Court by the former owners, Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company.
In November 2014 Sands Heritage agreed in principal to be the park operator. The park first reopened on June 19, 2015 but by December 2015 Sands Heritage Ltd had entered into a voluntary debt plan and in May 2016: Dreamland put into administration.
In January 2017 An extension to the administration period is granted meaning the park could continue to run. Offshore firm Arrowgrass invests a loan amount for the park of just under £10million.
The following month a £15million overhaul of Dreamland is announced with more funding from Arrowgrass. Plans for new and restored rides, landscaped gardens, festivals and street food are unveiled
In May 2017 thousands turned out for the opening of the newly improved Dreamland and in October 2017 Dreamland exits administration and Arrowgrass hold talks about purchasing the Arlington freehold as part of a new masterplan for the site
In January 2019 former Dreamland CEO Eddie Kemsley returns to head up the Margate amusement park once more
In 2020/ 2021 Thanet council had sold the freehold to operator Sands Heritage Ltd for £7million – Dreamland park, cinema, scenic railway, rides and intellectual property, completed was sold for £2.3million and the former council owned car park was sold for £4.7m.
In December 2023 it was revealed the Dreamland company Sands Heritage has been taken over by LN Gaiety Holdings, a subsidiary of concert and festival giant Live Nation, meaning the park had a new owner
Where did it all start?
1870: A restaurant and dance hall, known as the Hall By The Sea, was bought by entrepreneur George Sanger and Thomas Dalby Reeve, then Mayor of Margate.
After Reeve’s death in 1875, Sanger went it alone and the hall and land behind became pleasure gardens with a mock ruined abbey, lake, statues and a menagerie.
1920: Dreamland opened on the site of a seafront zoo and gardens. It was owned by showman CC Bartram and businessman John Henry Iles who owned rights to the Scenic Railway.
1938: Dreamland was taken over by Iles’s son Eric but closed following the outbreak of the Second World War.
June 1946: Dreamland reopened on June 6, with money from Billy Butlin, who was chairman of Dreamland from 1946 to 1950.
1980s: The site was taken over by the Bembom Brothers who turned it into a white-knuckle theme park
1996: The Bembom family sold the site to Jimmy Godden who secured grants to assist in an initial £3 million redevelopment.
2002: The Scenic Railway was granted Grade II-listed status.
2003: Mr Godden announced that Dreamland would close and be redeveloped for shops and offices. The Save Dreamland Campaign was set up to fight for the future of Dreamland.
2005: Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, (MTCRC) which had shareholders including Mr Godden, bought the park for £20 million.
2006: Dreamland closed to the public and all rides, apart from the Scenic Railway, were removed.
2007: The Dreamland Cinema is closed. Ideas were put forward for the site which included a mixed scheme with the majority of the site kept as an amusement park, along with homes.
2008: The Scenic Railway was partially destroyed by fire after an arson attack on April 7. The owners pledged to rebuild. Thanet council threatened to compulsory purchase the site if it was not repaired. Dreamland Cinema was upgraded to Grade II* status on April 25.
2009: The Dreamland Trust, which was created through the Save Dreamland campaign, unveiled plans for a heritage theme park and a £3.7 million government grant was awarded to help bring the park back to life.
The £12 million project hit a financial problem. Thanet council stepped in to pay £4 million. The rest came from a £3.8 million government grant, £3 million from the Heritage Lottery fund, and local groups.
2011: A compulsory purchase order was served. Listed buildings were repaired after council served urgent works notices. Legal battles pushed the park’s opening date from 2012 to 2013.
MTCRC put forward alternative plans for the site in an attempt to stop the CPO.
2012: Jimmy Godden died. MTCRC became DreamlandLive. In August the government approved the CPO to Thanet council after an inquiry.
2013: After prolonged legal arguments a notice to quit the park was finally served. Designer Wayne Hemingway’s company was hired to create plans for the park.
May 2014: Another fire hit the park. Dreamland Expo: A Past, Present and Future visitor centre opened. Work to restore the rides began.
November 2014: Sands Heritage agreed in principal to be the park operator.
June 19, 2015: The Dreamland revived park reopened to the public.
December 2015: Sands Heritage Ltd entered into a voluntary debt plan.
May 2016: Dreamland put into administration.
June 18, 2016: Free entry to Dreamland and a weekend of first birthday celebrations.
July 16, 2016 – A record number of people visit Dreamland with 10,000 recorded in one day
July 2016 – The Scenic Railway is closed for repairs and the Octopus Garden children’s area is also shut for repairs after a leak.
August 4,2016 – A creditors’ meeting is held by administrators Duff & Phelps. Coombs, based in Canterbury, announces it will carry out £1.8 million restoration works at the former Sunshine Café and cinema entrance foyer at Dreamland.
September 2016: Administrators shut down the Vintage Arcade at the park. The same month sees the opening of the iconic Hall By The Sea.
October 2016: Former Dreamland owners MTCRC offer £1m to take back the park and end the legal dispute with Thanet council over land compensation
January 2017: An extension to the administration period is granted meaning the park could continue to run. Offshore firm Arrowgrass increases its loan amount for the park to just under £10million
February 2017: A £15million overhaul of Dreamland is announced with more funding from Arrowgrass. Plans for new and restored rides, landscaped gardens, festivals and street food are unveiled
March 2017: Gorillaz announced to stage Demon Dayz festival in June, the park’s rare menagerie cages are restored, the neon signage is also restored and Arrowgrass announce another £10million of investment. Thanet council appoints real estate adviser, GVA, to find an operator for the former Sunshine Cafe building.
May 2017: Thousands turn out for the opening of the newly improved Dreamland and the event is attended by artist Tracy Emin. The bank holiday weekend attracted some 50,000 people to the park.
June 2017: Official opening of Ziggy;s rooftop bar and thousands enjoy the Demon Dayz gig.
October 2017: Dreamland exits administration and Arrowgrass hold talks about purchasing the Arlington freehold as part of a new masterplan for the site
March 2018: Dreamland announces a £5 park entry fee, which includes a single go on a ride of a visitor’s choice, or the daily Day Dreamer food and drink offer.
April 2018: Dreamland announces 9 new rides will be installed at the park over the summer
June 2018: The Dreamland Drop sky tower ride arrives at the park. Plans for a 120 bed seafront hotel are revealed
January 2019: Former Dreamland CEO Eddie Kemsley returns to head up the Margate amusement park once more
February 2019: The Dreamland hotel plans, which means the demolition of two buildings including Ziggy’s rooftop bar, are approved
April 2019: The £5 park entrance fee is dropped and footfall soared by more than 380% with 105,433 visitors between April 6 and April 22, compared to 21,988 visitors during the 2018 Easter break.
The same month Dreamland CEO Eddie Kemsley told The Isle of Thanet News Dreamland wanted to look at ways to increase the number of hotel beds in Margate and to hold more events out of the main season, creating a 12 month business and the permanent employment associated with that.
August 1, 2019: Thanet council Cabinet members agree the sale of the freehold for the entire Dreamland site -including the council car park and cinema building – to operators Sands Heritage Limited.
2020/21: The sale completes for £7m
December 2023: Dreamland company Sands Heritage taken over by LN Gaiety Holdings, a subsidiary of concert and festival giant Live Nation, meaning the park had a new owner.
Summer 2024: The Scenic Railway out of action due to damage to the wooden track.
January 2026: Retirement of the Scenic Railway announced
Everyone seems to be rolling over and accepting this. If funding was provided on the basis that it would operate until 2037, and that is legally watertight, then as a minimum there should be a case to reclaim the funds. I would expect any ride to be inspected daily and suspect the five hours is a massive overestimate
As a former brakeman on the scenic railway for the 2016 season daily checks were always undertaken in the morning by a brakeman and a engineer to make sure it was safe these checks took between 30 mins – 1Hr depending on weather .
The new estimate of 5hrs is absolutely garbage it’s dreamland making excuses as don’t want the agro of maintaining it due to cost
Welcome to Thanet…. home of the ‘Take the money and run’ businesses. Same old story over and over again. Taking money under false pretences is nothing more than theft.
Good point re reclaim. . But I think that people are not rolling over. There is justifiable outrage across social media.
Sadly, it needs far more than “outrage across social media” to force them to do something.
If you look, you can see that there is far more.
I’ve looked, and can’t see what action is proposed or by whom.
No doubt the money all went on the concert business & not the theme park.
so – here we go again , the scenic railway will be left to quietly rot away on its own , the huge flat site with road access will be covered in houses , which was always the plan, right back to mr jimmy goddens days , an obvious case of land banking , watch this space , – or that that huge space to be more accurate
Nice report with cllrs Yates and Whitehead on Meridian News tonight.
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-01-28/ideas-sought-to-reinvent-countrys-oldest-rollercoaster-after-closure
Thanks Peter for sharing god Helen whitehead didn’t come across well even had to do an edit on her interview. The council is to blame for this all not having a sting enough contract at sale.
She clearly isn’t comfortable speaking in front of a camera, but I thought she got her point across OK.
IF I HAD THE MONEY I BUY IT.
So would I. I’d also buy Arlington House. Then I’d demolish it, move the funfair to another location (such as The Lido or Hartsdown Park), build a road right through it, and pedestrianise the seafront.
It might be a nice idea for Dreamland to invite a company like GoApe to see if they could use the structure as a climbing frame. As long as something is done, they can use the funding that they were originally given in another way, not just as the ride.
Something not right here.