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With a number of ongoing issues, the London Resort theme park development has withdrawn its current planning application with a new proposal set to be resubmitted later in the year
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 29 Mar 2022
Green campaigners have long fought the project, which would be built on a site of special scientific interest Credit: London Resort
A long-running saga over plans to build a £2.5bn theme park in the UK looks set to stretch even further after the initial plans were withdrawn.
The London Resort project has been hit with numerous problems and delays, including the withdrawal of key IP partners, transport issues and environmental concerns.
Among its issues, the brownfield site on which the proposed resort will be built gained added protections following its designation by Natural England as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). The site is home to animals including water voles, otters, birds and a rare species of spider. Both ITV and the BBC had until recently been involved in the project, but both companies withdrew from the project in response to these environmental concerns.
Additionally, changes to the ports of Tilbury and Grays on the Essex side of the Thames were having an impact on the resort’s development plans.
As a result, PY Gerbeau, the company’s chief executive, said in a statement that the planning application would be withdrawn so it could be resubmitted at a later date following revisions.
“In the best interests of the London Resort, we are withdrawing the current application as a result of the classification of Tilbury as a Freeport which has meant revisions are required in moving the ferry terminal from Tilbury to Grays,” said the statement.
“This issue, combined with the decision by Natural England to designate a brownfield contaminated site as an SSSI has undermined the project in its current form.
"We in turn have acquired significant land holdings as part of our mitigation strategy combined with our commitment to spend £150m on environmental improvements on the peninsula. These changes are considered material and as such require withdrawal and resubmission.
“We will continue our engagement with the local community, statutory bodies, landowners and others to make sure we can reach as many agreements as possible before resubmission. Make no mistake we are still 100% committed to this amazing project and we will resubmit before the end of 2022 and look forward to delivering a world-class entertainment resort – the UK deserves better and we will make it happen.”
Theme park
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