The London Resort theme park, which was set to be the largest in Britain, has been scrapped after a judge ordered company London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) into liquidation
A proposed £2.5bn theme park set to rival Disneyland has been officially scrapped. The company behind the Kent project, London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), was forced into liquidation. at the High Court.
The contentious resort, planned for the 372-acre Swanscombe Peninsula near Dartford, was first announced in 2012. It was expected to feature rollercoasters, water parks, hotels and live entertainment venues, making it at least three times larger than any other UK theme park.
However, after numerous planning issues and accumulating debts of over £100m, the proposed park has faced a challenging battle to stay afloat in recent years. After a legal dispute with entertainment behemoth Paramount, who claimed they were owed millions due to contract breaches, the legal pressures have finally brought an end to the project.
Hollywood producers, responsible for some of the most iconic films such as Titanic, the Indiana Jones series and The Godfather, had initially lent their name and intellectual property rights to the proposed park. This agreement would have allowed LRCH to use the names of its films, like Star Trek and the Mission: Impossible series, for its attractions – but Paramount later withdrew from the agreement.
A spokesman for LRCH confirmed the unfortunate news in a statement which reads: “The dream of the London Resort has been ended by the courts. Natural England fatally wounded the scheme, a single creditor has killed it and, with it, any chance of the UK competing on the envisaged scale of London Resort.”
Back in October, Kuwaiti businessman Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi, who spearheaded the project, conceded that his involvement had “destroyed” his life, claiming it tarnished his reputation and catapulted him into bankruptcy.
Yet at the time, he clung to hope that the project could be resurrected.
Steve Norris, ex-Transport Secretary and past chairman of London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), dubbed the venture’s collapse “a tragedy” for Britain.
Mr Norris noted despite Dr Abdulla and his family pumping “millions” into the development, they were dumbfounded that planning permission was denied after considerable investment and relentless effort.
He reflected: “I cannot comment on recent events since I resigned from LRCH some time ago, but I offer only one observation. Abdulla and his family put millions into the project. After ten years, we still have no planning consent, which speaks volumes about our sluggish planning system. A key factor in the Gulf financiers withdrawing support likely stemmed from disbelief over the UK government’s indifference to the resort.”
Despite years of planning and significant financial investment, the project still lacked the necessary planning consent.
“Paramount’s attitude appears strangely unhelpful to say the least. It’s a tragedy for those who have lost money, for Abdulla and his family, for Kent and for the UK,” Mr Norris added.
The London Resort proposals were initially met with great enthusiasm, further fuelled by a series of impressive CGI images showcasing the potential look of the park. However, repeated delays and setbacks gradually turned this initial optimism into pessimism.
The most significant blow came in 2021 when the intended 372-acre Swanscombe Peninsula site was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England, following environmental campaigners’ opposition to the plans. Insiders described this as a “mortal blow” to the scheme.
The London Resort was designated a NSIP – a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project – but required a Development Consent Order (DCO) to proceed. However, just a day before the years of preparation were due to be presented to planners in March 2022, London Resort abruptly withdrew their plans, citing environmental and transport issues.
Since then, LRCH has been struggling on, regularly promising to resubmit its plans but without making any substantial progress. The NSIP status, listed on the Planning Inspectorate website as applying to LRCH, is likely to expire with the company, lifting the cloud of uncertainty that has hung over it.
Recent years have seen a surge in businesses on the peninsula. Last week (17/01), a High Court judge ordered the liquidation of LRCH, coinciding with the Planning Inspectorate’s decision to award costs to several companies involved in the DCO bid before it was withdrawn due to LRCH’s “unreasonable” behaviour.
The Inspectorate stated that the DCO withdrawal was made “without sound reason” and exceptional circumstances had “not been demonstrated”. Companies awarded costs include Kent Wildlife Trust, Bugs Life, National Highways, Network Rail, and a joint submission by Kent County Council, Dartford Borough Council, and Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.
LRCH has also been ordered to pay costs to Merlin Entertainments, a rival theme park operator that opposed the plans. In March 2023, LRCH faced administration due to £100m in debts but attempted to restructure through a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).