Developers are showing off first images of a huge new theme park they plan to build east of London, to open in 2024, the first built-from-scratch project of its kind in Europe since 1992. Or sort of Europe, since the UK plans not to be in Europe by then. It’s to be called London Resort.
The 535-acre site is in Swanscombe, Kent, about 20 miles from London, and sponsors say that construction will start in 2021. Among the features are a dome with a giant Union Jack on its roof and a number of Disney-style ‘lands’ including The Studio, based on a film studio; the Kingdom, full of Harry Potter and Game-of-Thrones type “swords, sorcery, dragons and legend; The Isles (giant creatures); The Woods (fairy tales and bedtime stories); The Jungle and The Starport.
Also planned are hotels, a convention center and a waterpark. While the appearance of drawings is a step forward, it’s no guarantee of schedule or success, however. The project started out as Paramount Kent in 2012, and has had other names reflecting Paramount’s fading out of the project.
