The opening date for London Resort, the theme park proposed for the Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent, has been pushed back a further year with the Resort now not set to open until 2024.
As reported by local news outlet Kent Online, it has also been revealed that Humphrey Percy, chief executive of the project since March 2017, has stepped down from the project and returned to his previous position at investment advisors Armilla Capital. Replacing Mr Percy will be the financial backer of the long-running plans, and chairman and owner of Ebbsfleet United Football Club, Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi. Dr Al-Humaidi has taken a ‘personal role’ in the management of London Resort Company Holdings, and has expressed ‘regret that more progress has not been made’.
Dr Al-Humaidi first invested in the London Resort project five years ago, with the promise to fund the project at least until the planning application had been submitted. Speaking to local news outlet Kent Online about the change in management, Dr Al-Humaidi said:
“I am very pleased to be able to announce that I am taking personal control and responsibility for the London Resort project.
The team have delivered an excellent foundation, but very much regret that more progress has not been made.
Since I first invested in the project five years ago, I have been determined to see a high quality, world class resort brought forwards.
Significant funds have been committed, and spent, in the pursuit of those goals.
This has been an important chapter in my journey with the resort and we are ready to take it to the next stage.
Our recent agreement with Keltbray was the first of my initiatives and there are more to follow.
We will submit our planning application next year and I look forward to personally opening this fantastic facility in 2024.”
Also commenting on Dr Al-Humaidi’s new role, Steve Norrie, London Resort Company Holdings Chairman said:
“On behalf of the board I would like to thank Humphrey for his enormous efforts on behalf of the project during often trying times and we all wish him well in his new position.
I am delighted that Dr Al-Humaidi has decided to take personal charge of our project.
He has not only been the principal funder of our project but has always led from the front”
This latest news marks the fifth time the opening date for the proposed resort has been pushed back with the latest opening date of 2024 now 5 years later than the date set when the project was first announced. There have also been multiple delays to the fifth round of public consultation on the project with the consultations continually pushed back from their initial scheduled date of early 2016 and no new date for them currently set. However, last month there was some positive news for the multi-billion pound project with the announcement that engineering and construction firm Keltbray are set to inject £25 million into the development.
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