The French entrepreneur behind the ambitious £5 Billion theme park project, dubbed the Kent Disneyland, has recovered from COVID-19. Pierre-Yves Gerbeau is the man behind the development of Disneyland Paris and the London millennium dome but has now been tasked with delivering the vision for the London Resort theme park.
The extraordinary resort will be situated on the Swanscombe Peninsula, between Gravesend and Dartford. The park was originally planned for this year, but following the pandemic has been parked until at least 2024.
As of yet, no work has commenced on the project’s site as bosses are first looking to upscale the existing road infrastructure. The site for the project was first revealed in 2012, but the progress has been slow, with crucial components needing attention first.
A planning application for the park has now been pushed back from its original spring date, until at least October. The project suffered a major setback when Pierre-Yves was taken ill with COVID-19. Director of communications for the London resort, Andy Martin, confirmed the chief executive has since recovered, “It knocked him out for a couple of weeks,” he said. “But he was propped up in bed with an iPad getting the show on the road.”
Following the setback, bosses are now more determined than ever to deliver the project, “our ambition for the creation of a world-class resort remains unchanged.”
In an October meeting with the government body theme park bosses gave updates on the potential attractions the project would feature, including “futuristic” ideas such as esports arenas and other forms of immersive technologies. Deals have been struck with the BBC and ITV for the naming rights of rides and attractions, along with paramount pictures who have re-joined the project.
The full application for the park is expected to be submitted this autumn, which will then be followed by a public consultation. There will then be a 28 day period in which to review the application and decide whether or not to accept it for examination.
