The London Resort: Work to start on £2.5bn resort next year, says boss

Work will start on a huge new theme park near Essex next year, the park boss has confirmed.

The London Resort, a £2.5bn project, has been compared to Disneyland and is set to be the biggest theme park investment in Europe since the launch of Disneyland Paris in 1992.

The park will be between Gravesend and Dartford in Kent, just next to Essex.

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The plans were first announced in 2012 with the aim to have opened by 2019, but due to the coronavirus pandemic and backlash from locals, the London park faced some major delays.

It was reported that the park’s plans clashed with wildlife protection laws, as part of the resort was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of several rare species in the area, reports The Sun.

But despite the opposition, park boss Pierre-Yves Gerbeau has confirmed that the resort is set to open by 2024, reports the Star.

Mr Gerbeau said there will only be “subtle” changes to the design to protect the lands close to the resort and assured there would be no “material changes”, according to Kent Online.

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The London boss went on to say that he will be working with the government to find “common ground” to help reduce any impact on the area.

He said: “We remain committed to providing the examining authority with the new and updated documents as previously promised.

An aerial image of the London Resort shows what it could look like

“We can also confirm, as previously indicated that we will be addressing the full range of issues in relation to time-dependant information being sufficiently current and will, as a matter of normal process in any examination, be supplementing our reports with additional information.”

He previously addressed angry campaigners last month and said: “To all the naysayers and doom-mongers, the London Resort is going ahead, as planned.”

The 535-acre site, situated between Gravesend and Dartford in Kent, is set to be home to a number of amenities including a water park, three hotels and a shopping district.

Together, Mr Gerbeau will work with BBC Studios, ITV and Paramount and will split the resort into six different themed lands which include The Studios and fairytale land The Woods.

The theme park will also feature a King Arthur-themed The Kingdom, a futuristic section and a Jungle-themed land.

One of the areas will be dedicated to dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures and will be named Base Camp, which will feature two rollercoasters.

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The “prehistoric nature reserve” will feature roaming dinosaurs, two rollercoasters, rides, interactive dig sites as well as an exciting dining experience

The first rollercoaster will be the fastest in Europe and will be able to reach speeds of around 70mph, while the other will be a family ride which will show guests how to interact with dinosaurs while taking on a mission.

Other features will include a 1,500 person live stage show and an “active dig site” where park visitors can search for fossils, climb walls and go on zip lines.

The theme park will eventually become a two-park resort, with hopes for the second in 2029.

It is expected to be three times bigger than any other theme park in the UK.

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https://www.essexlive.news/whats-on/london-resort-work-start-25bn-6303369

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