Plans for ‘UK Disneyland’ to open in London in 2025 withdrawn UK News

The south-east England venue is equivalent to the size of 136 Wembley Stadiums and would be located across the River Thames on the Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent

It was due to open to the public in 2025, but the future of the theme park has been thrown into question following the London Resort CEO’s statement on Thursday.

£3.5bn of theme park plans withdrawn. Credit: London Resort

Among a range of reasons, PY Gerbeau, noted that Freeport’s status introduced to Tilbury was one of the factors behind the decision.

PY Gerbeau said: “In the best interests of the London Resort, we are withdrawing the current application; due to Tilbury’s classification as a freeport which means revisions are required to move the ferry terminal from Tilbury to Grays We are working closely with Thurrock Council on this issue.

“This issue, combined with Natural England’s decision to designate a contaminated site as an SSSI, has impacted the project. We have in turn acquired significant land holdings as part of our mitigation strategy combined with our commitment to spend £150m on environmental improvements on the peninsula.

“These changes are considered material and as such require withdrawal and resubmission. We have repeatedly asked for latitude, time extensions and of course understanding from the review authority and planning inspection.”

It is understood that the creators of the theme park are working with the affected groups and currently plan to reapply later this year.

Mr Gerbeau added: “We will continue to engage with the local community, statutory bodies, landowners and others to ensure we can secure as many agreements as possible before re-submission. Make no mistake about it, we are still 100% committed to this incredible project and we will resubmit before the end of 2022 and look forward to delivering a world class entertainment complex – the UK deserves better and we we’ll get there!”

Following the news, the public took to social media to share their thoughts on the latest setback.

The article states that they will resubmit their application by the end of the year and “remain 100% committed to the project”. I’ve always been torn with the London Resort for multiple reasons but we’ll see what their next app brings I guess.

—packjarker (@packjarker) March 29, 2022

One user on Twitter wrote: “I always like to think optimistically, but the only way to see The London Resort come to life would be if they changed the location of the site and moved the project somewhere else in the UK.”

A second user agreed: “I hope this eventually comes to fruition. We really miss a top theme park in the UK. This would be a game changer for the UK industry.”

Another added: ‘The article says they will resubmit by the end of the year and ‘remain 100% committed to the project’. I have always been torn with the London Resort for several reasons, but we’ll see what their next candidacy brings I guess.”

While other users were happy to hear about the setback, one wrote: “Fantastic news. Wildlife houses are not a funfair for the hard of heart.”

While another added: ‘Fantastic news for all who campaigned so hard against this, they will no doubt be back.’