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Kent, England | The London Resort | Entertainment Complex

JoshC.

Strata Poster
A particular quote within that article, from PY Gerbeau, the CEO of London Resort Company Holdings and one of the main people in charge of the resort push:

We will be the first theme park across Europe, to be built from scratch in nearly 30 years,
I'm not one to be overly pedantic, but here's a list of parks which I believe were built from scratch in Europe since 2000:

1. Terra Mitica, 2000
2. Toverland, 2001
3. Etnaland, 2001
4. Parque Warner Madrid, 2002
5. PowerLand, 2002
6. Belantis, 2003
7. Tayto Park, 2010
8. MagicLand, 2011
9. Cinecittà World, 2014
10. Energylandia, 2014
11. Land of Legends, 2016
12. Wonderland Eurasia, 2019 (lol)
13. Gulliver's Valley, 2020

[Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of those being built from scratch]
This also ignores all of the junk tatty parks too.

But my point is, no, this is not the first theme park built across Europe from scratch in almost 30 years. Unless they're expecting it to take them another 30 years to open it, which isn't totally implausible at this stage...
 

Matt N

CF Legend
A particular quote within that article, from PY Gerbeau, the CEO of London Resort Company Holdings and one of the main people in charge of the resort push:


I'm not one to be overly pedantic, but here's a list of parks which I believe were built from scratch in Europe since 2000:

1. Terra Mitica, 2000
2. Toverland, 2001
3. Etnaland, 2001
4. Parque Warner Madrid, 2002
5. PowerLand, 2002
6. Belantis, 2003
7. Tayto Park, 2010
8. MagicLand, 2011
9. Cinecittà World, 2014
10. Energylandia, 2014
11. Land of Legends, 2016
12. Wonderland Eurasia, 2019 (lol)
13. Gulliver's Valley, 2020

[Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of those being built from scratch]
This also ignores all of the junk tatty parks too.

But my point is, no, this is not the first theme park built across Europe from scratch in almost 30 years. Unless they're expecting it to take them another 30 years to open it, which isn't totally implausible at this stage...
Do you think Gerbeau could possibly have been referring more specifically to a major-scale, international theme park resort? In which case, he would be right; if I’m not mistaken, the last huge ground-up resort of this scale to open in Europe was PortAventura in 1995.
 
Do you think Gerbeau could possibly have been referring more specifically to a major-scale, international theme park resort? In which case, he would be right; if I’m not mistaken, the last huge ground-up resort of this scale to open in Europe was PortAventura in 1995.
That's pedantry to be fair, plenty of parks in that list are big enough to be described as major. Especially compared to a never going to happen fairy-tale.
 

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Do you think Gerbeau could possibly have been referring more specifically to a major-scale, international theme park resort? In which case, he would be right; if I’m not mistaken, the last huge ground-up resort of this scale to open in Europe was PortAventura in 1995.
Nah, Wonderland Eurasia was huge. Energylandia is too. London Resort, if it happens, will probably be a cinema, two escape rooms, and a Nando's.
 

Matt N

CF Legend
Ah, that does make a lot of sense!

Gerbeau and the press always seem to cite Disneyland Paris as the last resort like it in Europe, though…
 

GregBoxall

Roller Poster
Ah, that does make a lot of sense!

Gerbeau and the press always seem to cite Disneyland Paris as the last resort like it in Europe, though…
That's probably because Disneyland Paris is a well know park, its easy for people to draw comparisons to. If they said this was the next big resort since Engergylandia the GP wouldn't really understand what they meant. Hence all the press headlines claiming it to be London's Disneyland to attract views to their articles.

But yeah, its never going to happen.
 

Matt N

CF Legend
That Sun article...
"When built it will be three times bigger than any theme park in the UK...535 acres"
(In reality...zero acres until legally planned, financed and built)

Alton Towers...914 acres.

But we all believe the Sun don't we.
Technically, the developers have supposedly nailed one of those 3 things already; the planning application repeatedly asserts that the project has an investor on board, and that their funding is sufficient to carry out the project in its entirety.
 

rob666

Hyper Poster
Technically, the developers have supposedly nailed one of those 3 things already; the planning application repeatedly asserts that the project has an investor on board, and that their funding is sufficient to carry out the project in its entirety.
Citation needed.

I also plan to build a multi million pound theme park in my back yard.
I also have an investor on board who can fund the project in full, but they don't want their identity revealed until the planning has been accepted.

Easy to say without evidence isn't it.
 

Matt N

CF Legend
Citation needed.

I also plan to build a multi million pound theme park in my back yard.
I also have an investor on board who can fund the project in full, but they don't want their identity revealed until the planning has been accepted.

Easy to say without evidence isn't it.
I guess, but if they were seeking investment, surely saying that the project is already fully funded would be the worst thing they could do, as if the project already has the necessary funding to proceed, surely that eliminates the need to invest in it in the eyes of most potential investors?

If they were seeking investment, surely they would have said something like “We are currently seeking external investment” in the planning application, no? As that would be a more direct appeal?

Besides, surely they wouldn’t lie on a document as formal as a planning application?
 

Hixee

Flojector
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Social Media Team
Gonna break this down.
I guess, but if they were seeking investment, surely saying that the project is already fully funded would be the worst thing they could do, as if the project already has the necessary funding to proceed, surely that eliminates the need to invest in it in the eyes of most potential investors?

If they were seeking investment, surely they would have said something like “We are currently seeking external investment” in the planning application, no? As that would be a more direct appeal?
In my somewhat limited experience, investors like projects that are already fully (or nearly fully) funded as it's generally more secure. What would you invest in?

"We've got no money or other interested parties - can you give us a few million quid to try and keep this going?"
Or
"We've already got loads of support and funding, and with your additional support we can make it EVEN better?"

Besides, surely they wouldn’t lie on a document as formal as a planning application?
Don't go there.

Lying (or bending the truth) is, in many respects, par for the course on many of these bigger things. I've seen some truly shocking changes/developments between planning applications and what ends up getting built. Hard to go into specifics due to confidentiality agreements I'm party too, but let's just say it's cheaper/easier to pay the fine (or retrospective planning changes) later than to submit a 100% correct planning at the start - even if you know things are slightly... misleading. A classic example is in bending the rules about affordable homes in city centre developments - submit the planning with a large chunk of affordable units, then halfway through construction drop that figure to the legal bare minimum (or even less!) at the threat of abandoning the project. What are the council going to do - leave a half-finished construction site sitting there for decades, or cave and let you change the ratios? Happens all the time.

In other words, a good chunk of planning is playing the game. Plus, if all they're funding is a Nandos and a carpark, they might be right... :p
 
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Will

Strata Poster
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It must have been a slow day at the Sun yesterday.
I do apologise for being such an incurable cynic (it's genetic, you should meet my Dad!) - but I do sometimes wonder why I'm still reading this thread.

As ever though, I'd love to proven wrong like I was about Icon :)
 

emoo

Hyper Poster
I don't think his has or can be said enough.

People can, and do, say anything they like. All the time. You can too.

It might appear there is a correlation to future events but it doesn't have to be for more reasons that you could think they do.
 

Matt N

CF Legend
According to RideRater, the government Examining Authority (ExA) has asked for “regular updates” on the project, amongst other pieces of news: https://riderater.co.uk/9251/london-resort-asked-for-regular-updates/

To summarise the news we’ve had:
  • The ExA has asked for the team to submit progress updates every four weeks to minimise the impact of further delays.
  • This move was stimulated by concerns expressed by local councils about the limited progress made, and a lack of “substantiative discussions” with the developers. (https://riderater.co.uk/9247/london-resort-councils-concerned-by-progress/)
  • Planners will also be spelling out the implications of the SSSI designation by 24th November.
  • Assessment of the proposals by the ExA is now unlikely to begin before summer 2022.
 

caffeine_demon

Strata Poster
I've done it for next year:

1 Jan - No progress
1 feb - no progress
1 mar - no progress
1 apr - new concept art posted to internet
1 may - no progress
1 jun - planning application delayed until mid 2024
1 jul - no progress
1 aug - no progress
1 sep - Rare ladybird spotted in swanscombe, 3 year delay
1 oct - no progress
1 nov -new concept art posted to internet
1 dec - No progress
 

Nicky Borrill

Strata Poster
Not sure how to take this!!! Companies that have been selected for this project seem to be taking this so seriously they're hiring staff because of it... Experienced companies too... That have worked with Universal, Merlin, CN, etc!!!

Also it specifically states 'contract' so clearly actual contracts have been signed... The 2 companies mentioned in this article are a local (to me) theming company and a VERY local (to me) ride manufacturer!

It says it is actively looking to recruit new additions to the team as a result of this contract and others that are in the offing.

Either this has to go ahead, or they're going to start destroying small businesses...

 

toofpikk

Mega Poster
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