A grandiose plan for a huge £3.5 billion theme park and resort development on the lower Thames River in Kent has taken a step closer to construction with the filing of permit applications—and even grander images of the park-to-be.
Called London Resort, the complex is meant to be the UK’s answer to monster theme parks elsewhere, and the first major one in Europe since Disney opened in France in 1992. Except, of course, the the UK is no longer in Europe.
Developers hope to start construction by 2022 on reclaimed former ‘brownfield’ areas and to open in 2024. They claim that the project will generate £50 billion for the economy over 25 years, hire tens of thousands and generate big tax revenues.
The park, hotel and greenbelt plan intends, the company says, to be the first operationally carbon neutral theme park in the world, and to provide a “green network of amenity areas and parkland” that would increase wildlife habitats.
On the less serious side, it would also provide 12 roller coasters, a mini Taj Mahal, and replicas of both the leaning tower of Pisa and Moscow’s St Basil Cathedral along with ‘lands’ featuring jungle adventures, space travel, ancient civilizations and “swords, sorcery, dragons and legend.”
