The London Resort (Paramount Park London)
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New press release saying that work will start in 2022, they don't have the planning premission yet do they? Did I miss something?

It has been confirmed that work on The London Resort, a huge new theme park in the UK, is to begin in 2022.

The £2.5bn project has been likened to Disneyland. It is set to be the largest theme park in Europe since the opening of Disneyland Paris in 1992.

Source: https://interpark.co.uk/work-to-commence-on-the-london-resort-in-2022/

An update to the post prior to this:

Despite London Resort Hotels' "partner agent", Farrbury Capital Partners, removing all mention of "Paramount" from their website (https://www.farrbury.com/), they have now stated the following:

Paramount are still in the current line up of IP partners, including ITV, BBC, Radisson and some very exciting names to be released in the near future.

So if Farrbury is correct, the removal of Paramount's name and logo plus it no longer being involved in the hotel is happening for another reason. Perhaps Paramount wants to distance themselves from this project publicly until it gains more traction.

At the end of my last post, I mentioned concept art for the park's potential Dinotopia area shown in The London Resort's investment brochure on the Farrbury website. Well, here's the investment brochure: https://www.farrbury.com/Brochure/ThemeParkHotels_EquityBrochure.pdf and here's that Dinotopia concept art:



The concept art is unfortunately cropped a little bit but it's another interesting look at what could be an area at The London Resort. Based on Paramount Park Kunming's Environmental Impact Report, the water ride depicted in the concept art will be named 'Thunder Falls' and will believe it or not be manufactured by Premier Rides, but of course everything is subject to change and unofficial.

This is unconfirmed/unofficial and is just speculation: there is a realistic possibility that Paramount is no longer involved in The London Resort.

In 2019 and 2020 The London Resort released layouts/concept art that clearly showed rides and areas that matched plans for future Paramount theme parks in South Korea and China. Throughout 2021 the images being shared have switched to a different layout with generic designs.

For the past few years plans for The London Resort included three on-site hotels. It seemed that all three hotels would be managed/operated by Radisson Hotel Group. The first hotel would be named 'Paramount Hotel', the second would be a Radisson hotel, and the third would be a Radisson Blu.

Regarding the 'Paramount Hotel', people had/have the opportunity to invest in the project through a "private placement equity share" or a "fractional sale". Recently, London Resort Hotels' "partner agent", Farrbury Capital Partners, removed all mention of "Paramount" from their website (https://www.farrbury.com/).

The homepage used to say:

The London Resort will be a Tier One Paramount Studios Theme Park. The Paramount Hotel will be located by the first gate to open. Due to complete in Q2 2024, it will be the newest Tier 1 theme park in the world garnering attention from a global audience.

With Paramount Studios, BBC, ITV and Radisson Hotels having already signed long term partnerships, this project will be ranked in the Top 10 theme parks in the world when it opens its gates. The Theme Park is very conveniently located just 17 mins by train from Central London, only a moments’ drive from the Euro tunnel entrance and within 1 hours drive from 4 international airports.

Paramount pictures are the main Intellectual Property Partner for the London Resort, being the resorts flagship hotel this will be the only hotel in the resort to bear their name and enjoy the prestige of being linked to one of the best loved names in Hollywood. Unlike comparable opportunities the Paramount Hotel combines investment with lifestyle. Investors can expect a minimum uncapped yield of 8% NET per annum guaranteed for 3 years with 2 weeks own usage, flexible exit routes and access to the London Resort which can be enjoyed by friends and family.

Now, I am unable to find Paramount anywhere on https://www.farrbury.com/. BBC, ITV and Radisson are all prominently mentioned on the website but of all the partners/IPs, Paramount is gone.

On the London Resort Hotels official website, https://londonresort-hotels.com/, I am unable to find Paramount anywhere. The Radisson and Radisson Blu logos are clearly shown at the top of the website but no Paramount logo.

Global Residential, an international property investment company, has The London Resort's Paramount Hotel listed on their website: https://global-residential.com/properties/london-resort/. A couple weeks ago, that webpage had a link to a Dropbox page: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oacuv92m83m9e5m/AAByh6TQ6E7ZdmXG7Q6t6mHYa/The%20London%20Resort?dl=0. The Dropbox page contains details about investing in this project. In the 'Videos' folder, there is a video (which was uploaded on October 11, 2021) that can be viewed/downloaded called "LR update september.mp4". In the video at 1:26, PY Gerbeau, CEO of The London Resort, explicitly confirms that the Paramount Hotel planned for the project will no longer be branded as Paramount:

...we switched from our main hotel from Paramount to Radisson. It seemed for us essential to have a leading brand in hotel and hospitality industry and be able to tap into their 200 million customer base and use their booking system and the track records. So that's also very exciting and we think this is going to be an extremely fruitful partnership. The second good news in that aspect is our intellectual properties lineup is improving. We just signed two new agreements to extend our IP content into the first gate so that's really exciting and of course we will tell you very soon.

If you don't want to deal with the Dropbox link or the entire video, here's the specific clip of PY making this statement: https://streamable.com/cjy0mt

First of all, I personally don't understand the benefit of switching the branding from Paramount to Radisson. Radisson could still manage/operate a hotel that uses the Paramount name. For example, the new Warner Bros. hotel on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi is operated by Hilton under the Curio Collection brand. Imagine if instead it being named "The WB Abu Dhabi" it was simply named "Curio" or "Hilton". It wouldn't make any sense. Part of the hotel's appeal is the film studio brand, which is more unique.

Secondly, PY's wording when he says "the second good news in that aspect" and then talks about new IP deals for the first theme park gate implies (but does not confirm) that Paramount is also no longer involved in the theme park itself.

Paramount Pictures and The London Resort were both contacted to get confirmation as to whether Paramount is still involved in the theme park specifically and there was no response from either.

Lastly, an area planned for an upcoming Paramount theme park in Kunming, China is Dinotopia. The concept art/layout of Dinotopia in Kunming up until recently matched the design of an area at The London Resort. In April 2021 I shared on themeparX (https://www.themeparx.com/the-london-resort-paramount-park-london/?p=25952#post25952) concept art of the Dinotopia area. The concept art comes from KEH Ventures' website: https://kehventures.com/ventures and is still there as of this post. This Dinotopia area contradicts the design of a generic dinosaur-themed area, Base Camp, that The London Resort revealed later that same month: https://www.themeparx.com/the-london-resort-paramount-park-london/?p=26113#post26113. At the bottom of Farrbury Capital Partners' website (https://www.farrbury.com/web/fractional-sales.html) you will see a preview of The London Resort's investment brochure. The investment brochure displays a daytime version of the same Dinotopia concept art from KEH Ventures' website, yet the Paramount logo is noticeably not shown next to ITV and BBC. Further up though on Farrbury Capital Partners' website is the new Base Camp concept art, so what's the real design and what's placeholder/outdated?

Sources: https://www.farrbury.com/web/fractional-sales.html and https://kehventures.com/ventures and https://global-residential.com/properties/london-resort/ and https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oacuv92m83m9e5m/AAByh6TQ6E7ZdmXG7Q6t6mHYa/The%20London%20Resort?dl=0 and https://londonresort-hotels.com/#contact and https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oacuv92m83m9e5m/AADp1hKeOYe27LNSpxxqYJsna/The%20London%20Resort/Videos?dl=0&preview=LR+update+september.mp4&subfolder_nav_tracking=1

Source: https://twitter.com/cameraleon/status/1459854959046967300

Originally Posted by Michael

The London Resort has released a new overview concept art of the entire theme park. This design matches the dinosaur concept art released back in April.



The old design matched areas and rides that were also planned for Paramount Parks in South Korea and China. This new design is more different and generic. I wonder if this concept art is placeholder to not reveal the Paramount-branded attractions or if the park is going in a different direction and maybe building less of the planned Paramount rides that were originally shown...

Source: Blooloop and http://www.ericwilliamscreative.com/#/themeparkdesign/

Hmmmm it seems the park has gotten a lot smaller with less lands and rollercoasters from the last plan? Is this getting value engineered already?

Never-before-seen concept art of The London Resort from the summer of 2017 by Rethink Leisure & Entertainment:









This concept art corresponds to the concept art I shared back in May (https://www.themeparx.com/the-london-resort-paramount-park-london/?p=26240#post26240) and matches the layout shared by The London Resort here (last image in the post Figure 4.2d): https://www.themeparx.com/the-london-resort-paramount-park-london/?p=22263#post22263

Source: https://www.morganekeesling.com/illustration

The London Resort has released a new overview concept art of the entire theme park. This design matches the dinosaur concept art released back in April.



The old design matched areas and rides that were also planned for Paramount Parks in South Korea and China. This new design is more different and generic. I wonder if this concept art is placeholder to not reveal the Paramount-branded attractions or if the park is going in a different direction and maybe building less of the planned Paramount rides that were originally shown...

Source: Blooloop and http://www.ericwilliamscreative.com/#/themeparkdesign/

Three British firms, Electrosonic, Garmendale and Katapult, have today been unveiled as the first businesses to be chosen by The London Resort to help create the UK’s first, next generation theme park.

65 other businesses, over half of which are British, have been advised that they are in the running to work on what is billed as one of the most ambitious leisure projects to be undertaken in the UK and Europe.

It is the first and crucial phase of a business registration process that began over a month ago, when nearly 2000 businesses registered their interest in being part of this unique project. The initial businesses being contacted could all have an important role to play in moving the London Resort from conceptual design to concept refinement and schematic design.

Making the announcement at blooloop V-Expo, PY Gerbeau, CEO of London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), was keen to stress the door is still well and truly open for more businesses to register.

“It is a day to celebrate British innovation and technological wizardry,” commented PY. “Electrosonic, Katapult and Garmendale are all leaders in their fields and together we are on a journey to create our own slice of history by building the UK’s first next generation theme park. But turning our vision into reality will be complicated.

“We will be the first theme park across Europe, to be built from scratch in nearly 30 years. We will be one of the only operationally carbon neutral parks in the world. And with our investment in sustainability and the environment, we will be beacon of what can be achieved when the environment, commerce and entertainment flourish together, hand in hand. To make that vision a reality, we will only work with the best of the best that industry has to offer and today marks the first day of that exciting journey ahead.”

The formal registration process began over a month ago when The London Resort called for businesses to register their interest in becoming a supplier. Nearly 2,000 businesses have registered so far, 30% of which are local, based in Kent and Essex. 90% are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), putting it on track to exceed the Government’s target that £1 in every £3 is spent with SMEs.

PY was keen to stress that the door is still open to businesses wanting to register their interests. “To all the naysayers and doom-mongers, the London Resort is going ahead, as planned,” he continued. “To all businesses who believe they can play a part in creating a world of unique experiences, I encourage you to go to our website now, register your details and together we will create our footnote in history.”

Commenting on the announcement, Gavin Cleary, CEO, Locate in Kent, the inward investment agency for Kent and Medway, said,”The tremendous response from our local supply chain firms shows what an important driver the London Resort will be for our region, and confirms Kent is a vibrant, reliable, and cost-effective place for major construction projects. We have the skills, the talent pool, the innovations, and the appetite to make a positive contribution to the project.”

The three businesses unveiled at blooloop’s V-Expo 2021 are all firms well known and highly respected in their fields.

Dartford-based Electrosonic, was founded above a Greenwich greengrocers in 1964. Early on, Electrosonic designed and manufactured lighting and audiovisual control systems to create exciting experiences and concerts for groups such as "Pink Floyd," "Genesis," "The Rolling Stones," and "The Who" to name a few.

Now it is internationally recognised for applying its audiovisual and technology services to create out-of- this world experiences at some of the most recognised attractions worldwide, including Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. Electrosonic provided complete parkwide audio and video and show control solutions for the world’s first-ever Warner Bros. branded theme park, including helping to create what is believed to be the “biggest permanent projection-mapped show in the world”.

Commenting on the partnership, Paul Taylor, Senior Consultant, Electrosonic, said, "It’s fantastic news for us and a brilliant project to be part of from such an early stage. As a company that is involved with many of the most iconic themed entertainment brands and attractions around the globe it is a real thrill to have an opportunity of working on such an exciting project here in the UK and right on our doorstep. We are really looking forward to being part of the team that will deliver this iconic attraction as the project starts to build real momentum.”

Derbyshire based Garmendale Engineering is a second-generation, family-owned and run business, founded in 1980. Situated on the edge of the Peak District, it is recognised as a world leader in the manufacture of theme park ride systems. It has established working relationships with some of the largest and most successful theme park operators in the world such as Universal Studios, Merlin Entertainments and Parques Reunidos Group.

Commenting on the opportunity to work with the London Resort, Commercial Director of Garmendale, Zoe Shelmerdine, said, “Garmendale is absolutely thrilled to be part of what will be a truly exciting and revolutionary project. It will be a huge asset to the UK and will allow the “best of British” talent to attract a global audience to the UK. This will hopefully put the UK back on the world attraction map and it is exactly what our industry deserves after a challenging 18 months.“

International themed attraction designers, Katapult, was established in 2001 and started with a business loan from The Princes Trust. Based in Derby City Centre, the team is headed by Dawn Foote, Co-Founder & CEO, and Philip Higgins, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer. Katapult works with the likes of The LEGO® Group, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros and BBC. Their work is enjoyed by 50 million visitors, at over 81 attractions, in 20 different countries.

Commenting on the announcement, Co-Founder and CEO of Katapult, Dawn Foote, said, "We are incredibly excited to be working with The London Resort team on this iconic project here in the UK. As experienced themed attraction designers, we understand what it takes to create immersive experiences that wow and inspire visitors. We're looking forward to working with PY and the team to do just that, and create a next generation theme park our country will enjoy and be proud of."

Source: https://londonresort.info/news/first-businesses-chosen-to-help-create-uk-s-first-next-generation-theme-park/

Businesses have been invited to declare their interest in becoming a supplier to a multi-billion pound theme park project dubbed Britain's answer to Disneyland. The £2.5bn London Resort is set to be constructed on the Swanscombe Peninsula, between Dartford and Gravesend, with plans to open its first gate in 2024.

Now bosses are inviting local and regional businesses to become part of its supply chain. Planners say the park will be a "gamechanger" for the entertainment and leisure industry in the UK, generating £50bn of gross economic activity over an initial 25-year period.

Source: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/business-suppliers-wanted-for-next-disneyland-252230/

Can anyone understand the legal language here and explain whether this is good/bad or just procedural? To me this sounds like it could be negative and that LRCH have to provide more details to support their planning permissions and other applications because they are not sufficient or have been changed?

Please keep away from speculation - we all have ideas on how well this is going, but I am interested in knowing if this is actually something that might change the course of the planning?

Planning Inspectorate Decision: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/BC080001/BC080001-000978-The%20London%20Resort%20Procedural%20Decisions%2012%20August%202021.pdf