Dartford MP says ‘UK Disneyland’ plans are ‘dead in the water’

The park, initially known as London Paramount and set to be situated on the Swanscombe Peninsula, was expected to be three times larger than any other UK theme park, spanning an area equivalent to 136 Wembley Stadiums.

The London Paramount park, a partnership with Paramount Pictures, was expected to be Europe's largest investment in the recreation sector since Disneyland Paris opened in 1992.

The park was reportedly said to include six worlds featuring rides from blockbuster films such as Mission Impossible and Titanic, restaurants, hotels, and West End shows, and was designed to provide a substantial boost to the local economy, providing 30,000 jobs.

According to Gareth Johnson, MP for Dartford, the likelihood of the theme park to come to fruition is “dead in the water”, and he suggests the area be repurposed into a nature reserve.

According to The Sun, Gareth Johnson, MP for Dartford said: “I now consider the scheme to be dead in the water.

“In my eyes the SSSI registration has ended the possibility of a theme park. I now see this site’s future as a nature reserve.

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“The development company has consistently failed to engage with the community on this matter.

“Locals felt it was being forced upon them.”

The park's creation in partnership with Paramount led to it earning the nickname 'Disney on Thames'.

However, after ten years of planning and setbacks, Natural England declared the proposed site a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 2021, citing the presence of rare species, including the tiny 1 cm jumping spider.

Following the ruling, the London Resort Company Holding, the entity behind the park, called in administrators, which could potentially signal the end of the development.

The creation of the park was initially viewed as an important attempt to boost the local economy in Kent.