A monstrous £3.5 billion Disney style theme park is being built on our doorstep. 

Paramount Studio Theme Park is still in the early planning stages, but it is estimated it will take up 10.5 miles of local marshland, covering 535 acres and £70 million of the £3.5 billion has already been spent.  This development project will incorporate two different areas, including seven different themed sector, along with, an expo centre, a water theme park and 4 different hotels.  Considering our unreliable British Weather, they have made the very wise choice to make most of the rides under cover so that our hands do not freeze.

The London Resort is going to be the biggest theme park in Europe since Disneyland Paris, built 28 years ago in 1992.  The Paramount Picture theme park is projected to be completely finished by 2035, however, the first phase should be completed by 2024 with the second phase completing in 2029, meaning only four more years until the first grand opening of this exciting project. 

The £3.5 billion development may seem very exciting to many, but the locals do not seem to be too pleased.  They are worried that it will ruin the landscape of the urban wilderness and damage the natural marshes.  Not only that, but with the River Thames being right outside their doorstep the locals are afraid that the Paramount Picture project will destroy the natural habitat of the river as well.  It is feared, the London Resort will increase tourism traffic in Swanscombe and the surrounding area, causing the air pollution to rise significantly.

The online petition, Save Swanscombe Marshes, has been set up by some locals and conservationists to prevent this development project from building over these mosaic marshlands, which are home to 250 species of conservation, including, the jumping spider, many rare bee species, beetles and other invertebrates.  However, whilst there is fear amongst the conservationists, the Resort has planned for habitat creation to protect as many creatures as possible.

The Theme Park is also having a negative effect on the property market in Swanscombe because potential buyers are put off from the fear of the increased traffic, noise levels and pollution the development will bring.

However, not all is doom and gloom because The London Resort will bring lots of jobs to the local economy, because running a theme park requires a lot staff.  Furthermore, the opportunity for locals to rent out their houses, could provide them with extra income, as the tourists will want places to stay.

With 2 years before construction begins and a furthermore 2 years for The London Resort to have finished the first phase with doors open, the likelihood of the project finishing on time seems very unlikely.  In addition, with the petition and the pollution factors this due date could be way in the future with a lot more hurdles, such as the humongous electricity pylons, to overcome.