Peninsula theme park company ordered to close down

The company behind plans for a Kent theme park has been ordered to liquidate

The company behind plans for a £3.5bn Disneyland-style theme park in Kent has been closed down by a High Court judge.

London Resort Company Holdings Ltd (LRCH) first announced plans to build a 535-acre attraction on Swanscombe peninsula in 2012 but the proposals attracted objections from conservation charities.

LRCH was issued a winding up order on 17 January at the High Court, a month after a judge deemed it had breached a payment agreement with its creditors.

A spokesman for LRCH said: "The dream of the London Resort has been ended by the courts."

The High Court ruling has coincided with a decision by the Planning Inspectorate to award legal costs to companies who had undertaken work ahead of a planning application, including conservation charities Kent Wildlife Trust and Buglife.

Buglife's Jamie Robins welcomed the move but cast doubt over whether costs would be paid.

He said: "The awarding of costs is a drop in the ocean and we have doubts as to whether we will ever get the funds, but it is at least recognition both of our effort and reflects the sheer chaos of the London Resort project from start to finish."

A spokesman for LRCH said that as well as the court decision, Natural England's decision to make Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 2021, had played a part in the project's collapse.

He said: "Natural England fatally wounded the scheme, a large creditor has killed it, and with it any chance of the UK competing at the envisaged scale of the London Resort."

In response, Natural England said its role was to protect the site and called LRCH's comments "misleading".

A spokesperson said the decision to designate the peninsula as an SSSI in 2021 was the culmination of "extensive" work.

They added: "The evidence for SSSI status was carefully assessed, and we worked with local people who had an interest in the site, including businesses, landowners and developers.

"Natural England is committed to maintaining these important relationships and working in collaboration to find solutions for the wildlife to thrive alongside the current and future uses of this special site."

Paramount Pictures had granted LRCH license to create rides based on its films but the partnership ended in 2017.

Paramount Licensing Inc petitioned the High Court to liquidate the company in October 2024.

LCRH owed Paramount £13.5m, according to court documents.

Insolvency and Companies Court (ICC) Judge Barber issued a judgement on 19 December that LRCH was in breach of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) with its creditors.

On Friday, deputy ICC Judge Agnello KC issued a winding up order at a further hearing.

The project was designated as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), meaning it would need to apply to Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for a Development Consent Order (DCO).

In 2022, LRCH withdrew its DCO planning application, saying changes to the ports of Tilbury and Grays on the Essex side of the Thames had impacted its plans.

The area was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England in 2021, due to its environmental diversity.

As a result, the Planning Inspectorate said because LRHC had "acted unreasonably", interested parties had incurred "unnecessary or wasted expense".

LRCH will now have to pay costs to a number of parties.

The BBC has contacted Paramount Pictures Inc's solicitors for comment.