Councillor brands Kent’s answer to Disneyland “of national importance” while concerns rise over the effect on local businesses amid millions in losses and major delays

An upcoming theme park in Kent has garnered the support of a local councillor in spite of the project declaring millions of pounds in losses and missing its completion deadline.

London Resort, the country’s spin on Disneyland, is set to be built on the Swanscombe Peninsula in Dartford with construction due to begin in 2021. This came after the original opening year of 2019 was pushed back to 2024 at the earliest.

The project has received mixed responses.

Kent County Councillor for Swanscombe and Greenhithe, Peter Harman, has backed the project regardless of financial losses and delays. The land is a brownfield site, meaning it has previously been developed on but is not currently in use.

“It’s better to have something like a theme park that will add value to the area more so than other industrial uses,” he said.

Councillor Harman believes that London Resort Company Holdings, the company in charge of the enterprise, is taking all the preventative measures it can to minimise the inconvenience caused to local residents.

The councillor said he understood that London Resort were pushing for the park to have direct access to the A2 trunk road which would reduce traffic disruption, what he described as the “biggest concern” for local residents.

Furthermore, the councillor said he believed that the company were planning on only around 10 percent of visitors to travel to the park by car with the majority travelling via train or boat.

Councillor Harman claimed the project was “of national importance because it’s going to be a large employer,” referring to the company’s promise that the project will create 30,000 new jobs.

However, not all are in agreement with the councillor’s views on the upcoming project. MP for Dartford, Gareth Johnson, admits that despite his original enthusiasm for the project when it was announced in 2011, stalled progress has left him uncertain as to whether the project will be beneficial for the area. In addition, he raised concerns over the project’s financial status and whether the area was the right fit for such an ambitious venture.

“Dartford’s current infrastructure simply cannot sustain a theme park. Neither local roads or rail services can cope with the estimated 50,000 daily visitors. Throughout the various consultation stages the developers have been unable to find a solution to this problem,” he said.

“There has been a lack of detail about how this project can not only be viable, but benefit local people,” he added.

The MP also raised his concerns about the effect on local businesses.

“There are a large number of businesses located on land which is proposed for development by the theme park who have faced years of uncertainty over this project and have suffered financially as a result.”

Paramount, BBC and ITV have all been announced as onboard with the project. Paramount pulled out after signing a naming rights deal however since rejoined the venture. It was confirmed that BBC and ITV were set to lend image rights from their portfolios.

Director of Communications and Strategy at London Resort, Andy Martin, put delays down to the size and complexity of the project and insisted that the scheme was still on course.

Mr Martin defended the project’s current losses stating, “We don’t categorise it as losses. While that’s a formally accurate accounting term, it doesn’t really apply for a project of this nature.  We see it as an investment.”

Despite plans for the project to go ahead there are just two employees registered on the books, one of whom is a Director taking home a pay packet of £60,000. Councillor Harman admitted he was surprised by this information and hopes that the resort will someday open.