The London Resort, a £2.5 billion theme park development in Kent, has had its request for a delay with the planning application rejected, and has been given a final deadline of March 15 to submit its bid for review.
LRCH had asked for the March 2022 planning application hearing to be delayed until July. Previous delays were granted so that LRCH could address outstanding concerns, including the site’s SSSI status.
However, the Planning Inspectorate has told the London Resort to submit its final bid for examination by March 15. “In response to these observations, the applicant can decide to withdraw the application,” the inspectorate said.
“Its scope is such that there must now be very considerable doubt as to whether important and relevant matters bearing substantially on traffic, transport, shipping, ports, water utilities and the natural environment (amongst other matters) can feasibly be addressed in a timescale to an examination commencing in July 2022.”
London Resort’s request for delay rejected
“Although an examination commencing in late March 2022 may pose certain difficulties, it is important to note that the commencement of an examination should not be delayed until July in circumstances where there is an increasingly low likelihood of it proceeding even then,” the inspectorate added.
In the letter dated February 1, the Planning Inspectorate’s lead member Rynd Smith said a decision had been made in the interests of resolving “enduring uncertainty” for local businesses and residents.
“We are looking forward to the preliminary meeting in March and to bringing the first, next-generation theme park, to the UK,” a spokesperson for the London Resort said (via BBC).
Proposals for the attraction were first submitted in December 2020. Earlier this month, the resort revised its opening date from 2024 to 2025. CEO PY Gerbeau recently revealed that the project will continue as planned.
Last week, the London Resort announced a strategic partnership with PwC to build smart venue technology for the attraction. “We are delighted to welcome them as a partner invested in the project,” Gerbeau said.
Images: The London Resort
