by Martin Jefferies

Exciting plans to build the world's first heritage amusement park in Margate have taken a major step forward.

The Dreamland Trust has been given £384,500 by the Heritage Lottery Fund to kick start the ground-breaking project.

The move - which does not guarantee any further funding - shows that Lottery officials believe the project meets their criteria and has to the potential to succeed and deliver value for money.

Campaigners now plan to submit a full application for the £2.65 million of Lottery support they are seeking for phase one of the project in early 2010.

Susan Marsh, honorary secretary of The Dreamland Trust, said: "We will now work up detailed plans to ensure that we deliver this unique new visitor attraction in the heart of Margate, providing a major boost for the tourism economy and giving the people of Margate what they have so long wished for - a revitalised Dreamland."

The new amusement park would see some of the UK's oldest rides resurrected alongside iconic Margate landmarks including the Scenic Railway and the Dreamland cinema, both of which are listed buildings.

Entry to the park and landscaped gardens will be free of charge, with wristbands being sold for those who want to experience the rides.

The Dreamland Trust said the park would create "considerable employment opportunities for local people" and attract up to 700,000 people every year.

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