Dreamland Trust chairman Bernie Morgan vows to hold operators Sands Heritage to account
12:00, 20 October 2016
updated: 19:37, 20 October 2016
The charitable trust that oversees Dreamland says it will do more to hold the operators to account after facing criticism about its work and track record.
Directors of the trust were confronted with calls to do more to put the operators under the spotlight at a meeting this week.
Many who attended the trust’s meeting voiced concerns that it had not spoken out more publicly about the troubles facing the operator Sands Heritage Ltd.
Trust chairman Bernie Morgan, who took on the role in the summer, said that she acknowledged the criticism and vowed to do more to hold those running the attraction to account.
However, she emphasised the role of the trust was not one of a watchdog. The group was set up in 2009 to spearhead the campaign to reopen Dreamland and its main focus was the heritage of the site and education.
It has now agreed to review the way it works and will report back in six months.
“There was a feeling we should be more vocal. I think that for any organisation in administration, you cannot say the situation is not precarious but I know the administrators want to see it continue as a going concern,” she said.
On complaints that the trust had not been able to attend or participate in key meetings, she said that those problems had now been resolved.
The trust was now more fully engaged with the administrators and believed the attraction had good prospects of becoming commercially successful, she said.
It was disappointing that the park’s main attraction - the scenic railway - remained out of action but there were plenty of other attractions for visitors, she added.
Former Green councillor Ian Driver said the trust was unfit purpose for purpose.
He said: “I hope that this meeting was a wake-up call for the chair and directors and that they will now make a genuine effort to reform the organisation into high profile campaigning group which will develop new and exciting plans for Dreamland and hold those who run it to public account.”
Administrators were appointed in May after Sands Heritage ran into financial difficulties.
