It's been billed as the "UK's answer to Disneyland" but 11 years on is the London Resort any closer to reality?

First announced in 2012, the ambitious theme park project is earmarked for the Swanscombe Peninsula, along the banks of the River Thames between Dartford and Gravesend.

If built, the £2.5 billion resort will cover 1,245 acres – a space equivalent to 113 Wembley stadiums – and would dwarf the UK's current largest theme park, Alton Towers.

It's promised thrill-seekers some of the fastest rides in Europe, a huge indoor water park, theatres, and an e-sports arena, and will create nearly 50,000 jobs.

But the project has been hit with numerous planning snags, spiralling start-up costs and the discovery of a rare jumping spider species.

A crunch meeting was due to take place last spring but it was cancelled at the eleventh hour after theme park bosses withdrew their application.

And over the weekend, a year on from that setback, London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) called in administrators having built up £100 million in debts.

But they claimed the move would safeguard the future of the project.

So, more than a decade since the project was first put forward and with not a shovel of soil turned over, the question still remains – will it ever be built?

A view via Google Earth of where the London Resort would be built in Kent

Bosses at LRCH had originally considered Olympic Games legacy sites and three locations north of the Thames in Essex before deciding to base their flagship attraction in north Kent.

Ashford and the Hoo Peninsula were also among the touted locations before developers settled for Swanscombe due to its "strategic location".

In May 2014, the government confirmed the London Resort as a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) – status normally reserved for power plants, bridges and major road schemes.

It means developers can bypass local planning regulations and seek consent direct from the Secretary of State. But to win approval, theme park bosses must first prove the bid's feasibility to the government's independent planning arm, The Planning Inspectorate.

After many years and various rounds of public consultation an application was formally accepted for review in January this year.

But before submitting its bid, artists' impressions, image rights deals and even the directors tasked with steering forward the project have all changed.

Gravesham council previously confirmed it supports plans for the London Resort.

It says it will back the project provided the benefits to the local economy are "maximised" and "impacts minimised".

In a letter to the Planning Inspectorate the council said it would be supportive of a full hearing taking place later this year, alluding to the potential economic benefits this project could bring to "an area that desperately needs jobs".

While backing the plans "in principle", the authority says this is conditional on progress being made on key concerns such as transport.

Explaining the authority’s position, Cllr John Burden, Leader of Gravesham council, said: "While we are sympathetic to the concerns delays to the planning process are causing for businesses and landowners on the peninsula, we are also very conscious of the potential economic benefits this project could bring to an area that desperately needs job creation."

The London Resort project had also originally struck a deal with Hollywood film studios Paramount Pictures', which is home to some of the world’s most iconic films including The Godfather, The Italian Job, and the Mission: Impossible franchise.

It had lent its name to the park itself before dramatically withdrawing in 2017 – only to come back on board under a new agreement two years later. It has not responded to requests for comment.

However, theme park bosses suffered embarrassment when Wallace and Gromit creators Aardman Animations quietly walked away.

Both BBC and ITV's studio arms had also lent image rights which would have seen rides named after hit brands such as Thunderbirds and Sherlock Holmes.

But both have now pulled the plug on their involvement.

It comes after increased scrutiny from environmental campaigners which led to the designation of the Peninsula as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), for its grassland, wetlands, birds, and invertebrates – including one of the rarest spiders in the country.

The status granted by Natural England – the government's environmental advisory group – means any future plans must take into account the abundance of wildlife – but does not preclude development from taking place.

It also led to another previous backer withdrawing their support in the form of Dartford MP Gareth Johnson.

After initially supporting the project, the Tory minister said he had "run out of patience" amid ongoing concerns over transport, pressure on local businesses and a lack of engagement from LRCH.

He told KentOnline he believes public mood towards the prospect of the park has now shifted.

"I'm not a tree hugging hippy but it would make no sense to concrete it over," he explained. "At the moment we have an environmental habitat that exists there that is actually really vital to the local area and for the local wildlife.

Mr Johnson added: "Initially, the idea of a theme park was a good one, I supported I thought actually this could bring jobs to the area.

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson believes an alternative vision for the site can be achieved

"But it's become increasingly clear however that over the last ten years jobs have actually been lost as a consequence of the theme park proposals because the businesses that exist on the Peninsula now are unable to plan for the future and that has held them back and cost jobs.

Outlining an alternative vision for the site, he added: "I think that we can turn this into a local asset not just for people today but for future generations as well.

"We can ensure that it is opened up so that local people can enjoy that for walks, for wildlife, just for local school children to learn and understand about the importance of local wildlife."

The Tory minister believes this would not be an "unrealistic aspiration", adding it could be achieved with a "small, modest amount of investment" from central government.

Kuwaiti businessman Abdulla Al-Humaidi, who also owns Ebbsfleet United Football Club, also stepped down in the latest shake-up of LRCH.

He first invested in the project in 2013 and, in 2017, was joined by his brother Dherar Al-Humaidi.

'I think that we can turn this into a local asset not just for people today but for future generations as well...'

In 2018, Abdulla took over full responsibility for the project amid fears it was not progressing at sufficient pace.

Although he has now left the board, LRCH insists he will "remain involved on a day-to-day basis and give the project his full support".

Despite numerous setbacks and delays theme park bosses have vowed the park will be built.

The park's CEO, PY Gerbeau, says it will go ahead despite the "naysayers and doom-mongers".

The Frenchman has a decorated CV and is credited with saving the Millennium Dome, now better known as the O2 Arena, with the tabloid press nicknaming him 'The Gerbil'.

Speaking in October 2021, he said: “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 a beacon of what can be achieved when the environment, commerce and entertainment flourish together, hand in hand."

The six-month inquiry to determine the application was anticipated to start in September 2021.

But this was pushed back to last April – more than 13 months after the plans submitted at the start of 2021 were accepted for review – on the request of the developers.

Site visits were carried out and a virtual meeting was due to take place last spring to consider "draft proposals" for examination.

This was to decide whether or not examination would go ahead there and then, or to defer timescale based on the requested evidence.

But in December PY Gerbeau stepped away from the project and the plans were "significantly changed".

Then, over the weekend, LRCH called in administrators.

Now, 11 years on we still don't know if the London Resort vision will become a reality – but there are likely to be more twists and turns in the saga yet.