The ambitious London Resort project has been scrapped after years of delays and a legal battle, leaving many disappointed.
London: So, it looks like the big plans for a £2.5 billion theme park, often called the “British Disneyland,” have officially been thrown out the window. Can you believe it?
The London Resort was supposed to be massive, like 136 Wembley stadiums big! It was set to rise on the Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent, and they first announced it back in 2012. But now? Nothing.
Dr. Abdulla Al-Humaidi, the guy behind the project, had big dreams. He wanted rides, hotels, restaurants, and thousands of jobs. They even planned to build over 3,500 hotel rooms and two ferry terminals. Sounds amazing, right?
But after years of delays and a bunch of setbacks, the whole thing has come to a screeching halt. A High Court judge has put the company behind the project, London Resort Company Holdings, into liquidation. They’re in a legal mess with Paramount, who are pretty upset about some broken contract claims.
A spokesperson for the company said it’s all over now, thanks to the courts. They mentioned that Natural England played a big part in killing the project, and now the UK can’t compete on the scale they envisioned.
Steve Norris, a former Transport Secretary and chairman of the company, called it a “tragedy” for the country. He pointed out that after a decade, they still didn’t have planning consent, which is pretty embarrassing for the UK’s planning system.
He also mentioned that the lack of support from the UK government likely scared off funding from the Gulf. It’s a real shame for everyone involved, especially for those who lost money and for the future of Kent and the UK.
