First look at unseen images of what £2.5billion ‘UK Disneyland’ theme park could have looked like before being scrapped
THE ambitious plans for a £2.5billion theme park dubbed the UK Disneyland has been scrapped – but unseen images have revealed what it could have looked like.
London Resort was first announced back in 2012, with plans to build on the Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent.
However, the theme park ran into a number of problems over the years, including the site being designated an SSSI for nationally important invertebrates, breeding birds and plants.
And this week, a High Court judge ordered London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) into liquidation.
But new images that were never released have revealed what the theme park could have looked like.
A huge outdoor plaza would be base don Paddington, Kent Live reports, with Madame Kozlova’s steam fair and his London home featuring.
A Paddington in Peru area would have a boat ride, that goes to see Paddington’s family.
And both a Ghostbusters and Peaky Blinder attraction was meant to be part of the park.
The Ghostbusters ride would see passengers use ‘proton packs’ to bust the ghosts.
Sadly, these are to never come into fruition following the scrapping of the plans more than a decade on.
A spokesman for LRCH said: “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.”
London Resort was set to be a two-park resort, with plans for it to open in 2024, followed by the second park in 2029.
It would have been three times larger than any other theme park in the UK, with six lands.
Collaborations included BBC, Paramount and ITV, with plans for 50 rides, including eight rollercoasters.
The Studios would have ‘blockbuster movie features‘ such as car chases and espionage, while The Woods would be a fairytale land.
A King Arthur-based land would be The Kingdom, while The Isles would have rides based on mythical beasts.
A Mesoamerican The Jungle land and a 23rd century The Starport finished off the lands.
More than half of the resort would be undercover, with plans for a grand plaza, hotel and even a waterpark.
Thankfully there is a huge new theme park that looks set to open in the UK.
Timeline of London Resort
October 2012 – The London Resort is announced as London Paramount Entertainment Resort, to open in 2019
April 2013 – Discussion over development after discovery of a rare species of spider
May 2014 – London Paramount Entertainment Resort granted Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project status
December 2014 – Partnership with BBC Worldwide announced
March 2015 – Partnership with Aardman Animation and BFI announced
September 2015 – Opening date pushed back to 2021
November 2016 – Waterpark plans scrapped, opening date pushed to 2022
June 2017 – Paramount pulls out, with park renamed as The London Resort
September 2017 – Opening date pushed back to 2023, with estimated costs rising to £3.5billion
November 2018 – Opening date pushed back to 2024
April 2019 – Partnership with ITV Studios announced.
November 2021 – Natural England designates the area as a SSSI for nationally important invertebrates, breeding birds, plants and geology
March 2022 – Resort application is withdrawn
March 2023 – London Resort Company Holdings goes into administration
April 2023 – A Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) is agreed on
May 2023 – The transfer of a plot of land, considered a material change, occurred without prior notice to the CVA supervisor
June 2024 – Swanscombe Development LLP, the land for The London Resort, is listed for sale
October 2024 – Paramount tells the High Court that LRCH had not adhered to their obligations under the CVA
December 2024 – The judgement is published
New Year 2025: Further High Court hearings are scheduled to decide the fate of London Resort
January 2025: A court hearing will determine whether LRCH can enter administration
Universal Studios has revealed plans to build a huge new resort in Bedfordshire.
Set on 476 acres of land, the resort would also have 500-room hotel and even its own train station.
If given the go-ahead, it will be the first Universal theme park in the UK.
Currently open around the world are five Universal theme parks.
This includes Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Beijing Resort and Universal Studios Singapore.
And Universal’s Epic Universe is opening in Florida this year – here’s what you need to know.