‘British Disneyland’ plans unsure as row breaks out over £3.5 billion park

The London Resort, which has been in the making since 2012, is set to be built in Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent and is being dubbed the ‘Dartford Disneyland’

The future of the £3.5 billion “British Disneyland” hangs in the balance as a heated dispute erupts, over a decade after its initial announcement. The London Resort, first unveiled in 2012, is planned to be constructed on Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent.

However, since its inception, the project has been riddled with catastrophic setbacks. Currently, London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), the firm behind the theme park often referred to as “Dartford Disneyland“, is embroiled in a High Court legal battle with Paramount.

The American streaming giant, which was once a collaborator and lent its name to the park’s attractions, is accusing LRCH of breaching payment agreements. An insolvency judge has identified at least three “serious and irremediable” breaches of LRCH’s agreement to pay creditors like Paramount.

Paramount is renowned for producing iconic films such as Titanic, the Indiana Jones series, and The Godfather.

London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) has been hauled into a High Court legal dispute with the American streaming giants due to breaches of agreement of pay.

Paramount, also a former collaborator, was one of the creditors that originally lent its name to the park’s attractions. The Hollywood producers had also lent its name and intellectual property (IP) rights to the proposed park.

This would have allowed LRCH to name its attractions after movies such as Star Trek and the Mission: Impossible films.

LRCH proposed a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) involving a debt-equity swap to cancel unsecured creditors’ debts in exchange for company shares.

Despite opposition from Paramount and other creditors, it was approved in April 2023. However, Paramount told the High Court in October 2024 that LRCH had not adhered to their CVA obligations.

Paramount wanted to put the brakes on any more asset flogging by pulling the plug on the CVA.

Paramount argued LRCH had stopped trading and sold land without informing creditors. The promised £607million funding had not materialised, they claimed, and all LRCH websites were shut down.

Paramount then called for the CVA’s termination to halt further asset disposals.

The High Court revealed the project was mainly funded by Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi, who faced financial issues and fraud allegations, and had recently declared bankruptcy. Judge Sally Barber criticised the CVA supervisor for not terminating the CVA despite breaches, and ordered its termination.

She said: “The freehold land, being an integral part of the site on which the theme park is to be built, was not only presented in the proposal as the company’s only asset but was obviously central to its business and therefore to the CVA.”

She added: “Without the site, there was no land on which the theme park could be built.”

Previously, wildlife charities called on the government to revoke its planning status after it was named one of the most important breeding bird sites in southeast England.

The initial plans for London Resort said it would be three times larger than any other UK theme park.

The court ruled there had been an “irremediable breach” of the terms of the CVA and directed Mr Batty to issue a certificate of termination.

Further High Court hearings in the New Year will decide London Resort’s fate, with the company aiming to enter administration to salvage the project.

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