Paramount London
Paramount London is a proposed theme park and entertainment precinct in Kent, United Kingdom. The project was announced on 8 October 2012.
If given the green light, the development will transform an 872-acre brownfield site on the Swanscombe peninsula and be twice the size of the Olympic Park in East London. It will feature Europe’s largest indoor water park, theatres, live music venues, attractions, cinemas, restaurants, event space and hotels. Allied to the project will be a training academy for the entertainment and hospitality sectors, a new country park, a large science and education visitor complex and "the biggest performing arts centre in Europe".[1] A name for the park has not yet been chosen.
The developer has said that the theme of the park will have an emphasis on Britain and Kent, however the attractions are likely to be based on films and entertainment properties owned by the licensee of the park's name, Paramount Pictures.
While the project has garnered considerable support in Kent, a commentary in the London Evening Standard in October 2012 called into question the commitment of some of the development partners, namely landowner Lafarge, builder Brookfield Construction and property company Development Securities.[2] However on 10 December 2012 the project received a boost after securing the services of Chris Townsend,[3] as its commercial director. Townsend performed the same role for Locog on behalf of the London 2012 Olympic Games and is charged with attracting investors for debt and equity funding.
Development
The site straddles the border of the Dartford and Gravesham borough council administrative areas and both authorities have pledged their support.[4] Over the next 12–18 months the major focus will be progressing the planning application, while embarking on a wide-reaching programme of community consultation. Further commercial agreements with third parties will be sought during this time.
The timetable for delivery, including the planning application process and construction timetable, is geared towards completion and opening in 2019.[5] Planning permission may be granted in spring 2014. The project leader is Tony Sefton of London Resort Company Holdings.
In April 2013 newspaper reports[6] claimed development may be delayed by the discovery of a rare species of spider. Mr. Sefton pledged to remove the colony of distinguished jumping spiders (Sitticus distinguendus) to another suitable site.
The following month, the Kent Messenger reported[7] that plans for the theme park could be endangered if a new lower Thames road crossing is sited over the Swanscombe Peninsula and quoted Mr. Sefton as saying "It could really scupper plans. We are in the final throes of negotiating a very large investment and this makes it very difficult."
Infrastructure and Transport
The closest station to the proposed site is Swanscombe served by Southeastern services from London Charing Cross via Sidcup and Dartford to Gravesend. A short distance away, Ebbsfleet International is a High Speed 1 station. Trains run from London St Pancras (17 minutes), Paris Gare du Nord (North), Brussels-South and in the future, Amsterdam Centraal. A new monorail may take passengers from Ebbsfleet to the park.
It is presently unclear what changes to local infrastructure will be necessary to accommodate millions of additional visitors annually to North West Kent, though it is possible the route of a planned new Thames road crossing may be in part decided as a result of this development.
Similarly, it is conceivable that Crossrail's route may be altered to run as far east as Hoo Junction, just beyond Gravesend, Kent; currently there are no firm plans to run trains beyond Abbey Wood in south east London. It is not known if the plans for Paramount Kent will create a viable case for Crossrail services to be extended to serve the park. The Hoo Peninsula is also one of the proposed Boris Island sites.
References
- ↑ "£2bn plan: Mission is possible". Kent Messenger Group.
- ↑ Bill, Peter. "A roller coaster ride for ‘Disney by the Thames’". Evening Standard.
- ↑ Beard, Matthew. "2012 Chief to head 'British Disneyland' bid". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 10/12/12.
- ↑ "Reaction to £2bn Paramount theme park for Kent". Kent Messenger Group.
- ↑ "Daily Mail". Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ↑ "The Independent". Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ↑ "KM Online". Retrieved 21 May 2013.
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