The London Resort, a theme park resort project billed as the largest resort development project in Europe since Disneyland Paris, has received approval for the Development Consent Order application put to the UK government’s National Infrastructure Planning in December 2020.
The project’s application confirmed the intent to develop two theme parks, a waterpark, conference & convention centre, e-Sports facility and over 3,500 hotel rooms. Construction could begin on the former industrial site on the Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent in 2022, with a view to opening in 2024.
Chief Executive of London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) PY Gerbeau, who was credited with turning the Disneyland Paris theme park around in the 1990s after a difficult start, said: “I arrived at this project eighteen months ago and it has been non-stop ever since. We have revived, reviewed, and reprogrammed the entire venture. This will be so much more than just a theme park. We are creating a destination that maximises all the new, immersive and interactive technologies and experiences in the world”.
“But we won’t just be creating a world class leisure destination”, Gerbeau adds. “It will also be one of the most sustainable theme parks on the planet.” The London Resort plans to be the first operationally carbon neutral theme park, will deliver a net biodiversity gain and will create a green network of amenity areas and parkland to include areas of environmental enhancement and wildlife habitat creation beside the River Thames for local residents and resort guests.
The London Resort has already announced partnerships with the BBC, ITV Studios and, most recently, Paramount Pictures for the theme parks.