Disneyland style theme park worth £3.5 billion is coming to the UK

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A giant theme park to rival Disneyland, with rides, rollercoasters, a theatre, retail and food outlets, hotels and a nightclub, is set to open in Dartford, Kent.

Plans to build the £3.5 billion Paramount Entertainment Resort had a setback in June, when it was announced that Paramount, the studio behind the Transformers and Mission Impossible blockbuster franchises, and the developers were no longer going to be working together.

However, since then developers have stated they expect to submit their plans for the 110 acres of land on a former landfill site in Swanscombe Peninsula by the end of the year.

The leading developers on the project, London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), are working with local authorities and the land owners to push plans through the public consultation stage swiftly.

Humphrey Percy, CEO of LRCH, said after the company parted ways with Paramount: "We want to express our sincere thanks to the many members of the Paramount team who have worked with us since we took over the Project in August 2013.

"This announcement does not have an effect on the timing of our planned Development Consent Order (DCO) submission in November 2017.

"We are working closely with the local authorities, landowners and local community, as well as our other stakeholders, and we very much look forward to showing our plans to the public as part of our final stage of consultation prior to submitting later this year.

"We are creating a unique entertainment destination offering a scale and quality unprecedented in the UK where much loved characters and stories will be brought to life from iconic movies, television, books, electronic gaming and toys."

The park’s opening date was originally proposed for 2022 – however, it may be pushed back now that the Paramount partnership is off the table. After government approval, building work could start as early as 2019. When it does launch, the park is expected to create 33,000 jobs in North Kent and attract up to 40,000 visitors a day.

Tickets are estimated to cost around £57 for a day pass, with packages that include travel on public transport also available.