The latest artist impression images for “the UK’s answer to Disneyland” have just been released and they offer an insight into some of the rides and themed-attractions.
The London Resort – which is set to take shape in Swanscombe, Kent and is just 17 minutes by train from London St Pancras station – has been in the works for the past eight years, with initial concept plans having been outlined back in 2012.
News of the first plans and blueprints for the £3.5 billion project were released in December last year and the latest plans – which were also open for public consultation – were released back in July.
If those newly-released plans – dubbed ‘the evolved masterplan’ – are given the green light to go ahead, The London Resort would be the first park of its kind to be built from scratch in Europe since Disneyland Paris in 1992, and new Chief Executive PY Gerbeau said the industrial site would be “transformed into one of the most exciting destinations in the world”.
According to the new plans, The London Resort will include four hotels, that boast a total of around 3,500 rooms, as well as dozens of rides, attractions, entertainment, eSports and conference venues, all across two theme parks.
The park’s creators are currently remaining tight-lipped about exactly what rides will be on offer, but last year the resort signed a deal with Paramount Pictures, so a Hollywood theme is very much on the cards, and judging by these latest images and plans, it’s a theme that certainly seems likely.
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As well as Paramount Pictures, BBC Studios and ITV Studios also partners with The London Resort.
The area of land – which spans around 872 acres – is currently an industrial site located near the areas of Gravesham, Dartford and Thurrock, and as previously mentioned, the resort’s planners recently held a public consultation to showcase how the area will be transformed into the new theme park.
The consultation lasted eight weeks and reached over 120,000 members of the public.
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It showed that 73% of people support The London Resort’s approach to the environment and biodiversity, which includes enhancing local habitats to continue to support the wildlife that reside around the site, and 65% of those who took part also agreed that The London Resort will benefit the local area in the longer term.
The London ResortThe London Resort
It has also been confirmed that The London Resort will be submitting its DCO application later this year.
Speaking on the outcomes of the consultation and the release of the latest images, PY Gerbeau – CEO at The London Resort – said: “Getting to this point has not been easy, but the public has responded overwhelmingly in favour and for that we are deeply grateful.
“We will go through all of the feedback and use it to help inform our approach and further develop our proposals, but there is no doubting, that our aim of creating one of the most exciting entertainment destinations in the world, here in the UK, has taken another big step towards becoming a reality.
“We now look forward to submitting our DCO application later this year.”
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If the latest plans are successful in securing development consent, construction is projected to begin on The London Resort in early 2022, with a potential opening date in 2024.
Salford Red Devils granted another adjournment over unpaid debts
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils have been given one more adjournment and yet another stay of execution, being given another two weeks to find the money to cover their unpaid debts.
The local rugby league side, which has been wrapped in all manner of struggles both on and off-pitch over the past year or so, reportedly needs to pay around £700,000 to HMRC alone and still owes roughly £5 million in total to various creditors.
To no surprise, regular matchgoers, neutrals and even rivals alike have expressed their continued disappointment with the club, mainly at the lack of transparency and clarity from the organisation throughout this long, drawn-out process.
This is coming from a wire fan but no club deserves to be left in the dark even longer than they already have done it’s nothing but a disgrace to the sport of rugby those owners and the court should be ashamed of themselves.
Updating fans on social media, this is all the information they have communicated at this time: “Salford Red Devils can confirm that HMRC have granted the club a two-week adjournment, providing additional time in which to secure the necessary funds.
“We would like to reassure supporters that we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a positive resolution. Further updates will be shared as soon as possible.”
It’s worth noting that the current owners have reiterated that they inheited around £3m in existing debt before they took over the club, but assurances over their own investments have still come to nothing; meanwhile, with many still waiting on wages, players and staff alike have now left.
Having been propped up by loan players and emergency loans, the team is now closer to a skeleton crew than it is an outfit capable of competing in the premier division.
Either way, the outrage remains and is only growing stronger. One user wrote on X: “A good approach by them if they was legit would be to engage and bring in The 1873 to bridge the communication black hole (they created).
“The problem with that is if they did it would expose them for what they are… Extortionists using the club as a vehicle.”
More alarm bells were raised recently when assistant coach and Krisnan Inu – who was also director of the company set up to take over the business – withdrew himself from a key position behind the scenes.
Speaking of The 1873, the outspoken supporters trust took no time at all in issuing a response of their own, adding: “The judge presiding over today’s case has adjourned by 14 days. This adjournment has dragged the uncertainty on even longer.
“Every delay makes planning for 2026 harder and keeps the club stuck in limbo when it desperately needs clarity and direction.
“The fans, the players and the future all deserve better — The 1873.”
You can see the rest of their statement in full down below, but for now, what do you make of this seemingly neverending saga, Salfordians?
‘Christmas chaos’ on the cards as Manchester tram drivers vote on staging strike action next month
Emily Sergeant
There could be major disruption to festive travel in Greater Manchester next month, as hundreds of tram drivers are currently voting on whether to strike.
Almost 320 tram drivers are being balloted over working conditions and fears around fatigue.
The drivers – who are members of the union, Unite – all work for KeolisAmey Metrolink Limited at the Warwick Road South and Queens Road depots in Manchester – and they operate trams on all routes in Greater Manchester.
As it stands, the drivers’ shift patterns currently mean they have to work 450 hours over a 12-week period, which results in some having to work 50 hours on, followed by just two days off, then back into another 50-hour work pattern.
Drivers also have fewer rest days compared to all other operational departments, and this is said to be causing safety concerns around fatigue.
‘Christmas chaos’ is on the cards as Manchester tram drivers are currently voting on staging strike action next month / Credit: TfGM
Drivers say they concerned about operating heavy vehicles while exhausted and unable to have proper breaks, but after raising the issue with management, Unite has been told there is ‘no funding available’ to support any ‘meaningful’ improvements to working patterns.
Instead, management has asked drivers to start work earlier – which Unite says is only ‘adding insult to injury’.
The ballot is set to close on 11 November, and if drivers vote in favour of industrial action, strikes could then begin in late November, causing widespread cancellations and delays throughout the region during the busy festive shopping period – particularly coinciding with Manchester’s world-famous Christmas Markets, known for attracting millions of visitors to the city each year.
“Any strike action will cause a great deal of disruption but it is entirely the fault of Metrolink, which is not taking the issue of driver fatigue seriously,” commented Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden.
Emily Sergeant -
12th October 2020 
