The London Resort, proposed by the London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), was set to be built on the 372-acre Swanscombe Peninsula near Dartford and was first announced in 2012.

       The grand vision included rollercoasters, water parks, hotels, and live entertainment venues, making it at least three times larger than any other UK theme park. However, after encountering numerous planning obstacles and accumulating debts exceeding ￡100m, the project has struggled to stay afloat in recent years.

       The final blow came when LRCH clashed with entertainment behemoth Paramount over alleged contract breaches, leading to legal issues that ultimately ended the project. Paramount, the Hollywood powerhouse behind iconic films like Titanic, Indiana Jones, and The Godfather, had initially agreed to lend its name and intellectual property rights to the park.

       This would have allowed LRCH to use film titles such as Star Trek and Mission: Impossible for its attractions, but Paramount later withdrew from the agreement.

       A spokesperson for LRCH confirmed the development's demise in a statement. "The dream of the London Resort has been ended by the courts," they said.

       "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 last year, Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi, the Kuwaiti entrepreneur spearheading the project, confessed that his involvement had "destroyed" his life, confessing it had also "ruined my reputation and left me bankrupt". Despite these challenges, there was still hope at that time that salvation for the project might be found.

       Ex-Transport Secretary Steve Norris, who presided over transport under John Major's early 1990s government and served as a former chairman of London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), stepped down from his role last year and has described the collapse of the park as "a tragedy" for the nation. Norris pointed out that although Dr. Abdulla and his relatives contributed "millions" to the development, they were dumbfounded when it failed to secure planning permission despite extensive financial and temporal investment.

       "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," Norris said.

       "A decade on from when the project started it still does not have planning consent which is a terrible reflection on our sclerotic planning system.

       "I am fairly sure that one of the main reasons why funding from the Gulf dried up was because nobody there could believe the UK government was sympathetic to the project.

       "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."

       Initially, the plans for the anticipated London Resort were met with great excitement, buoyed by impressive CGI images showcasing the potential dazzle of the theme park.

       However, as delays continued to mount, enthusiasm dampened into scepticism.

       The project suffered a critical blow when Swanscombe Peninsula, the proposed 372-acre site, was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 2021 after environmentalists passionately challenged the development. This conservation status dealt what some insiders considered a "mortal blow" to the venture.

       While being recognised as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), London Resort needed a Development Consent Order (DCO) to forge ahead. But at the eleventh hour, just before presenting years of preparation to planners in March 2022, London Resort abruptly pulled its application, pointing to environmental and transport concerns.

       Since then, LRCH has been hobbling along, continually hinting at resubmitting their proposal but never making definitive headway. If the company dissolves, the NSIP designation—currently noted on the Planning Inspectorate's website as linked to LRCH—would likely expire, clearing up the longstanding uncertainty overshadowing the project.

       In recent years, businesses on the peninsula have faced challenges. Last week (17/01), a High Court judge ordered the liquidation of LRCH, coinciding with the Planning Inspectorate's decision to award legal costs to several companies for work done in preparation for a Development Consent Order (DCO) bid, which was later abandoned due to LRCH's "unreasonable" behaviour.

       The Planning Inspectorate stated that the DCO withdrawal was made "without sound reason" and that exceptional circumstances had "not been demonstrated". Among those awarded costs were Kent Wildlife Trust, Bugs Life, National Highways, Network Rail, and a joint submission by Kent County Council, Dartford Borough Council, and Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.

       Additionally, Merlin Entertainments, a rival theme park operator and owner of attractions such as Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park, who had opposed the plans, was also told to be paid costs by LRCH.

       Facing administration in March 2023 after accruing debts of ￡100m, LRCH attempted to stay afloat by proposing a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), a legal measure to renegotiate terms with creditors. Although a majority of creditors accepted the terms, which included receiving shares in the company, Paramount, the Hollywood movie studio, rejected the deal.

       Paramount took the matter to the High Court, alleging that LRCH had violated their contract and owed them approximately ￡14m. Last month, an insolvency judge in the High Court found there were at least three significant issues with LRCH's handling of its affairs.

       LRCH has been accused of 'serious and irremediable' breaches of its agreement to pay creditors, including Paramount. The American company had initially agreed to lend its name and IP rights before later withdrawing.

       In October, the firm informed the court that LRCH had failed to meet its obligations under the CVA, setting the stage for a High Court showdown in April. However, this case, which had put all plans for London Resort on hold, will no longer take place.

       This marks a sour end to the relationship between LRCH and Paramount, which had originally struck a deal for the project to be known as Paramount Park. The naming rights deal was scrapped in 2017, two years before the IP deal was agreed.

       Insiders say that LRCH is now financially depleted, and those owed money by the ambitious scheme are unlikely ever to be paid. Liquidation will see specialists appointed to identify assets that can be liquidated to repay some of the debt, although this is unlikely to cover the total amount owed.

       The site designated for the London Resort, on the peninsula, was put up for sale last year when its owner, Swanscombe Development LLP, was also put up for sale. Negotiations over the land continue.

       Over the years, LRCH had paid several million pounds for an option to buy the site once the crucial DCO had been granted. However, this option expired in December 2022 and has not been renewed since.