Plans for a theme park dubbed the ‘British Disneyland’ in the Kent countryside have been scrapped.
The London Resort Company first revealed plans to build a £2.5billion attraction on 535 acres of former industrial land on the Swanscombe Peninsula, near Dartford, in 2012.
It was set to feature 50 rides, including eight rollercoasters and different zones containing medieval castles and an Aztec pyramid, together with a 2,000-seat theatre and nightclub.
Architects dreamed it would be three times bigger than any other UK theme park, equivalent to 136 Wembley Stadiums.
The original site would have included a waterpark, conference and convention centre and e-Sports facility.
But, plans have fallen apart and the multi-billion pound entertainment park will not be built.
The company has become embroiled in a dispute over a broken contract with entertainment giant Paramount.
A High Court judge has ordered the company behind the London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) into liquidation, Kent Online reported.
The park was going to be based in Kent between Gravesend and Dartford
Billed as one of the most ambitious theme park projects ever in Europe, the London Resort would have been the first European development of its kind to be built from scratch since the opening of Disneyland Paris in 1992
The London Resort would have been home to various TV and movie-themed attractions. Above, a previous mock-up of how the theme park could have looked
Kuwaiti businessman Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi was the main driving force behind the plans for the theme park.
He previously told Kent Online the project had destroyed his life and ruined his reputation.
Steve Norris, former Transport Secretary in the 1990s, and a former chairman of LRCH described the park’s failure as ‘a tragedy’.
He told Kent Online: ‘Abdulla and his family put millions into the project. A decade on from when the project started it still does not have planning consent which is a terrible reflection on our sclerotic planning system.
‘I am fairly sure that one of the main reasons why funding from the Gulf dried up was because nobody there could believe the UK government was sympathetic to the project if it still did not have planning consent after so many years and so much money spent.’
In 2021, the plans hit a major hurdle when the site it intended to build on was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England.
The plans had been designated as a Nationally significant Infrastructure Project (PSIP) and required a Development Consent Order (DCO) to continue ahead with the project.
But London Resort dramatically withdrew the plans just a day before the plans were due to be presented, citing environmental and transport issues.
The first-ever up-close pictures showed rides and attractions at the London Resort, which has been dubbed ‘Britain’s Disneyland’. Renderings reveal the park’s dinosaur land
Base Camp would have featured two roller coasters, a large multi-media live stage show experience, an advanced simulator attraction, immersive fine dining and an ‘active dig site’
On Friday, the Planning Inspectorate awarded legal costs to companies which had worked on the DCO bid before it was halted.
Companies included Kent Wildlife Trust, Bugs Life, National Highways, Network Rail as well as Kent County Council, Dartford Borough Council and Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.
However reports suggest the companies owed money are unlikely to be recompensed.
In December, a judge drove the final nail into the park’s coffin following an application by Paramount, which is owed £13.5 million.
Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Sally Barber found the London Resort Company has ceased trading and ‘appears unlikely ever to do so again’, according to The Times.
Judge Barber said there were at least three ‘serious and irremediable’ breaches by LRCH of its agreement to pay creditors.
Last year, the land earmarked for the theme park and the company which owns the land, Swanscombe Development LLP, were both put up for sale
The land is made up of the former Swanscombe Cement Works, which was shut down in 1994.
A previous map and statement released by LRCH showed how the park would have been split into different themed areas, taking visitors from the medieval period to the 23rd century
The Swanscombe Peninsula, Kent (pictured above) was designated a site of special scientific interest in 2021
The London Resort would have been the first European development of its kind to be built from scratch since the opening of Disneyland Paris in 1992.
The success of Disneyland Paris is a testament to the impact that a global theme park can have on the economy.
Over 3,500 hotel rooms were set to be created alongside two ferry terminals – one each side of the River Thames.
Politicians and local councils were optimistic about the project, hoping that the resort would bring more than 30,000 jobs – while jump-starting the economies of nearby Gravesend and Dartford.
A report on the economic contribution of Disneyland Paris found that the attraction added €68billion (£60billion) to the French economy in the 25 years since opening.
