It promised thousands of jobs, excitement and glamour – and to put Kent on the map as a global entertainment destination.

But, more than 12 years after plans for a £2.5 billion Disney-emulating theme park were first unveiled to much fanfare, does the London Resort dream still exist?

“It’s not dead,” one industry insider close to the scheme told us, “but it would be fair to say it’s probably on life-support”.

In an exclusive, in-depth examination of the scheme, KentOnline hears the first public comments for more than eight months from the chairman of the company spearheading the proposals – and reveals just what we can expect from one of Kent’s long-running sagas.

The last 12 months have certainly been punishing for those behind a project which promised so much but has yet to deliver anything.

As 2023 dawned, PY Gerbeau, the French businessman who breathed life and commercial success into the moribund Millennium Dome project in 2000, had just quit as chief executive of London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) – the company behind the project earmarked for the Swanscombe Peninsula.

His appointment in the summer of 2019 had been seen as something of a statement of intent – a proven operator with charm and the business acumen to turn dreams into reality.

“To all the naysayers and doom-mongers,” he publicly declared at the end of 2021, “the London Resort is going ahead, as planned."

His departure, therefore, just 12 months later, sent a very different message to the masses.

He may, of course, simply have seen the direction of travel.

Following his exit last December was the news the park’s ambitious plans for a sprawling complex of rollercoasters, water parks, live entertainment venues, restaurants and hotels were to be “significantly” scaled back. No longer would it cover the entire 535-acre site.

The long-awaited planning application it had submitted had been withdrawn in March 2022.

Designated a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) – which as the name suggests are deemed of such importance decisions are taken out of the hand of local authorities and ruled upon by the secretary of state (think major roads, airports, power stations and the like) – its ultimate aim was for a Development Consent Order (DCO). Effectively permission from the highest powers-that-be that the project can progress.

But the bid to secure a DCO is, currently, dormant. Potentially, though, not for much longer. More of that shortly.

The NSIP process – heralded as a fast and efficient route to get major projects off the ground – is, in reality, still a cumbersome beast. Comprising of six key steps, the London Resort had reached the third – the pre-examination stage; the fruits of what, at that stage, had been 10 years of work.

Its case was due to be heard before what is referred to as a ‘preliminary meeting’ – which comprises of a panel of planning inspectors – in March 2022.

But, on the day that was due to take place, it withdrew its application.

The reason given by LRCH? Natural England’s decision in 2021 to designate much of the land on the peninsula as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (an SSSI). The move doesn’t prohibit development – but it does mean it has to be taken into account.

And it is the natural environment on the peninsula around which so many campaigners opposed to the project have coalesced.

Where for more than 150 years it has been a hub of chalk quarrying and cement production, today it is an assortment of grassland, scrub, wetlands, grazing marsh and saltmarsh habitat.

The SSSI status was handed down “in recognition of its national importance for plants, geology, birds and invertebrates”. It is also one of just two areas where the critically endangered distinguished jumping spider is found.

In addition, LRCH had agreed a deal with Tilbury Port – across the Thames Estuary in Essex – to provide parking for visitors to the site (who would then catch a ferry to the resort). However, when Tilbury was given Freeport status, it had to walk back on that agreement.

Yet LRCH remained bullish, with PY Gerbeau, at the time, saying: “Make no mistake we are still 100% committed to this amazing project and we will resubmit before the end of 2022 and look forward to delivering a world-class entertainment resort – the UK deserves better and we will make it happen!”

But it didn’t. And he left.

It should not be underestimated how big a step withdrawing the scheme was. It effectively wound the clock back to at least January 2021 when its DCO application had first been made – after years of painstaking groundwork.

Aside from having to re-draft all the documents, taking in the challenges now before it, it would also have to be back to hosting consultation events with all interested stakeholders. Not to mention finance each step. It is a process which takes many months and plenty of cash.

All of which may explain why one figure close to the scheme described it as “not having a cat in hell’s chance” of any plan going back before the Planning Inspectorate during 2024. And that is assuming the project is still alive. Those closest to it insist its heart continues to beat – albeit faintly.

In fact, in March of this year, LRCH hit a new low. Having spent £100 million – without actually building anything on the site – it was forced to call in administrators. The plans, to many, seemed dead and buried at that point.

What emerged was that it struck what is known as a Company (or often called Creditors’) Voluntary Agreement (CVA).

In short, this is a process in which a (normally struggling) company which owes money agrees a structure to repay the debts. Frequently, this will see creditors either agree to extended payment terms or to accept a smaller amount than promised in order to extract some recompense. Key is that it prevents the company in financial trouble from collapse.

In this case, creditors voted to accept a stakeholding in the company in exchange.

As one creditor owed money explained: “We had little choice other than to accept. It was either that or nothing.”

Due to this – we were informed – the resort’s website, including that set up for potential suppliers to register their interest – have all been pulled down. Even the phone number listed for LRCH has been disconnected.

It is assumed its web and telephone providers are among those it owed money.

Ex-commercial partners Knight Frank LLP had, prior to this, attempted to have LRCH removed from Companies House over alleged debts owed. But this bid was blocked by a judge after the money owed was paid.

Meanwhile, the London Resort’s social media channels have also laid dormant for the last 12 months.

However, Paramount – the Hollywood movie studio which had originally lent its name to the project – wasn’t happy with the agreement. You will remember it struck a naming rights deal when the scheme was first announced – lending the project some gravitas and access to a host of its intellectual property (IP) rights; in other words its big-name movie branding. Think Mission: Impossible, Star Trek and The Godfather.

It pulled the plug on that agreement back in 2017 – a move which saw the Paramount Park moniker dropped and London Resort become its working title.

Two years later, Paramount penned a new deal – not for naming rights this time – but giving access to its IP.

However, it was clearly not happy with the CVA deal – which it had voted against – and, in November, it was revealed it was set to take High Court action against LRCH.

And it is this which is, according to the most senior figures at LRCH, now holding up any plans of the defibrillator being deployed on its ambitious plans.

But perhaps the biggest question raised by its financial woes was just how a company bankrolled by some of the richest people in the world managed to slip into a financial quagmire which saw creditors chasing monies owed.

There are, apparently, several financial investors who have so far provided the funding to get the London Resort the vital DCO it needs to progress. Once that was achieved, the plan has always been, it would then seek to court other significant funding to actually build the project – a cost which would require billions being invested.

In 2013, much of the financial muscle behind the project came from the Middle East. And, in particular, the powerful and extraordinarily deep-pocketed Al Humaidi family; a dynasty of successful and wealthy business folk with billions, rather than millions, in the bank.

The London Resort investment was channelled through a foreign investment company called Kuwaiti European Holdings (KEH) Group. Its founder and CEO was – and remains - Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi.

Locally, he is perhaps better known as the owner and chairman of Ebbsfleet United Football Club. A mere 10-minute drive from the peninsula.

Known to many on the project simply as “the Doc”, some who worked closely on the project for several years admitted they never came face-to-face with the man driving it forward.

And drive it forward he did in 2018 when, frustrated by the speed of progress, he took over its reins. It seemed to work with the project finally filing its Development Consent Order application and the long-winded planning process making some headway.

However, by March 2022 – two weeks before it pulled its application just ahead of that preliminary planning meeting – he decided, for whatever reason, to take a back seat – continuing to be involved, in the background, of the project his money was bankrolling, but formally resigning from its board of directors.

The family was still represented, however. His brother, Dherar Al-Humaidi, joined the board in 2017 and remains in situ.

For Dr Abdulla, it’s been a challenging year. The London office of his KEH Group entered its own CVA in February of this year and he rounded off last month (November) by being declared bankrupt by London’s High Court.

Such a ruling, do not be fooled, is unlikely to point to the Al-Humaidi family running short on cash. This is, after all, purely business and he follows in the footsteps of the likes of showman PT Barnum and Walt Disney (a man who knew a thing or two about theme parks) who underwent a similar temporary financial blip.

As you can imagine, many of those involved in the project over the years are reticent to talk publicly about their involvement – especially if they are still hoping to work for it in some capacity. Even those out of pocket.

As one supplier, tracked down by KentOnline, who is owed money said: “You may struggle getting people to talk because I think there is still hope that they may be able to do something, even if it looks to all intents and purposes that the thing is dead.”

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson has long since withdrawn his support for the project saying “enough is enough” and that he had “lost confidence in the ability of LRCH to build this theme park in a way that would enhance Dartford”.

And the once excited Kent public – initially thrilled at the thought of such an attraction being built and encouraged by the 20,000 jobs promised – have long since become sceptical.

The Planning Inspectorate has not heard from London Resort since April 2023.

The last correspondence it has recorded was a call from the under-secretary of state for local government, Lee Rowley MP, for an update on the plan – and London Resort’s response.

The man who uttered that last public comment from London Resort was Steve Norris. He is chairman of LRCH and has been on the board since 2014. For those with a long memory, he was Minister for Transport under John Major’s Conservative government before standing (unsuccessfully) as London Mayor for the Tories in 2000 and 2004.

In response to a call for a full update in order to address concerns both locally – and “issues raised to ministers” – on the project’s plans, Mr Norris said he hoped “we should be able shortly to revive the project” and “get on to deliver what entertainment resort operators in every corner of the globe assure us is the best site in Europe”.

This was ten months ago.

At least, that was his last comment until KentOnline reached out to him this month. And, for the very first time, he admits there have been talks about formally shelving the whole project. But not quite yet.

Mr Norris told us: “When the Al-Humaidi family first acquired the project, the first £50m or so of funds to develop it came promptly and whenever required.

“But when the first oil price collapse happened those funds from Kuwait dried up. Ever since, funds have arrived intermittently and in insufficient volume.

“Over time it has become clear the project either should be wound up or would need to be reformed.

“It was decided in 2022 that the company would apply for a CVA by which, if passed by a minimum of 75% of the creditors, those creditors would see their debt converted to equity.

“This was made possible by commitments the company has received which will provide new funds to take the project forward but only if they were applied to completing the DCO process and commencing construction rather than paying off old debt.

“I’m pleased to report that the CVA obtained its 75%-plus agreement from its creditors and can therefore continue.

“The only current impediment is that one of our creditors has appointed lawyers to challenge the CVA and their action means that the issue will not finally be resolved until a date in 2024 when their case is heard.”

That company will be Paramount.

He added: “I continue to be involved not least because there is unanimous agreement at every political and commercial level that when completed the project will deliver in the region of 20,000 jobs and generate enormous tax revenues for government.

“The government, of course, will only support the project when they are confident it can be delivered to a satisfactory conclusion.”

And that will rely on not only the DCO being submitted and approved, but also the considerable funding required to actually build it.

When pushed as just when he expects a new DCO bit to be submitted, he added: “It’s very difficult to give you a precise timetable for the final submission of the DCO - which was delayed not least by the sudden appearance of Natural England who told us our site was a SSSI on account of us housing jumping spiders.

“That cost time and money to remediate but the DCO is effectively done with very little additional work to do so it will hopefully go in as soon as the CVA legals have terminated.”

Quite when that will be is anyone’s guess.

All of which leaves the Swanscombe Peninsula in a continued state of limbo.

An agreement LRCH had with Swanscombe Developments – which owns the bulk of the land earmarked for the resort – to buy the freehold of the site expired in December 2022, costing LRCH a little over £3.3m, according to filings made by Swanscombe Developments.

Should that be read as another sign the whole scheme is at an end? Not necessarily.

The option to buy the land has expired in the past but, according to someone close to the project, “it doesn’t prevent the option being subsequently renewed”.

They added: “It's a bit like thinking one of the lines keeping us alive has been unplugged - but it's not a great leap to plug it back into its socket.”

Assuming, of course, everyone hasn’t completely lost patience with the cloud of uncertainty which has hung over the peninsula for more than a decade.

In fact, those opposed to the Lower Thames Crossing plans east of Gravesend may well be asking themselves why the tunnel isn’t going via the peninsula instead...the London Resort plans almost certainly saw it removed from the list of potential routes initially.

Dartford council’s patience has also snapped. This month it confirmed it is writing to the government calling for the NSIP status to be revoked.

Leader of the council, Jeremy Kite said: “It’s fair to say that the patience of many members is now exhausted and there is very little new information emerging from the backers, which is a disappointing state of affairs. First and foremost this is part of our borough, not an investment plaything and local people have a right to be involved.”

A spokesman for the Planning Inspectorate added: “As things stand, the London Resort application has been withdrawn. It was accepted for examination on January 21, 2021, registration of interested parties took place but the application was withdrawn before the preliminary meeting. Any further application would have to be re-submitted and accepted for examination.”

As to that NSIP status? The decision to pull that will come down to the Minister for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities – Michael Gove. He’s already been courted by a number of Kent wildlife charities on the same issue this summer.

His office failed to respond when approached for comment. It’s also worth noting that none of the 200-plus other projects to be declared NSIPs have ever had the status withdrawn.

As one planning expert explained: “They just tend to fade away – remaining only as an entry on the Planning Inspectorate’s database.

“Nothing has happened with this project since it was withdrawn in March 2022. As far as the planning process goes, it’s dead.”

LRCH’s Steve Norris adds: “This would only be relevant if the project were dead and we would argue that that is not the case.”

There is a similarity to the famous Monty Python dead parrot sketch here: “He’s not dead, he’s just resting.”

Just that the London Resort saga isn’t really funny anymore. It is just dragging out years of uncertainty for an area of Kent which would like to know – one way or the other – what its future holds.

So we enter 2024 apparently no closer to the London Resort emerging from the colourful artists' designs it has published in the past and into reality on the peninsula.

Instead, as the new year dawns, media excitement is now piqued by the suggestion Universal Studios is pondering whether to build a 500-acre all-singing, all-dancing park in Bedford. Ironically, the former brickworks site it has its eyes on was once considered – and then discarded – by London Resort.

“It doesn’t help,” says a London Resort spokesman of news of its rival - in a statement of glorious understatement. The UK can support one huge park – within an hour of London – but not two.

As it stands, London Resort has no online presence; no chief executive spearheading its plans. Nor are there any proposals for consultations into its plans.

Perhaps most significantly, there is a question mark over the financial backing to get it to the DCO. Steve Norris – who says Dr Abdulla’s bankruptcy has no impact on its plans - may have seen reassurances, but the exhausted people of Kent will feel they have heard it all before.

As one source revealed: “Blood sweat and tears have gone into this. It's gutting to see where we've ended up and how's it's gone. It's a huge shame.”

Depending on your point of view, Kent is either letting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity bringing enormous economic and employment benefits slip through its fingers...or a precious piece of nature is dodging a bullet.