London Resort dubbed ‘UK Disneyland’ WILL go ahead next year, theme park boss confirms
THE boss of the new theme park being dubbed "UK's Disneyland" has said works WILL go ahead next year - despite delays and local opposition.
The £2.5billion project was first announced in 2012, with hopes to have opened by 2019.
However, this has been delayed due to the pandemic, disagreements with locals and wildlife protection laws.
Last month, part of the area was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to a number of rare species in the area.
However, London Resort boss Py Gerbeau has confirmed that works will start at the park next year, with plans to still open by 2024.
He said there will be no "material changes" to the bid for the theme park to be built, according to , with "subtle" design changes to protect the lands near the resort.
He also said that he was working with the government to reduce the impact on the area, to find "common ground".
Gerbeaud said: "We remain committed to providing the examining authority with the new and updated documents as previously promised.
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"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."
Last month, he also said: "To all the naysayers and doom-mongers, the London Resort is going ahead, as planned."
The 535-acre site, located between Gravesend and Dartford, will be the biggest brand new theme park investment in Europe since Disneyland Paris in 1992.
Working with BBC Studios, ITV and Paramount, the theme park will be split into six different themed lands, along with a water park, three hotels and a shopping district.
This includes The Studios, a warehouse district with blockbuster movie features, fairytale land The Woods and King Arthur-themed The Kingdom.
There will also be a futuristic land and a Jungle-themed land.
Earlier this year, they revealed plans for one of the lands which would be dedicated to dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures.
Called Base Camp, there will be two rollercoasters, one of which will be the fastest in Europe reaching speeds in excess of 70mph.
The second rollercoaster will be a family ride, with a much more relaxed experience, while a dark ride will use technology to show guests how to interact with dinosaurs while conducting a science mission.
Also at the land will be a 1,500 person live stage show experience and an "active dig site" when guests can try out paleontology by digging for dinosaur fossils, as well as climbing walls and zip lines.
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London Resort will eventually be a two-park resort, with the second expected in 2029.
When complete, it will be three times larger than any other park in the UK and spanned across 535 acres, the equivalent of 136 Wembley Stadiums.
