SECTION 56 PLANNING ACT 2008
REGULATION 9 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (APPLICATIONS: PRESCRIBED FORMS AND PROCEDURE) REGULATIONS 2009 (AS AMENDED)
REGULATION 16 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT) REGULATIONS 2017 (AS AMENDED)
NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE OF AN APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER
PROPOSED LONDON RESORT DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER
(PLANNING INSPECTORATE REFERENCE: BC080001)
Notice is hereby given that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has accepted an application made by London Resort Company Holdings Ltd (“LRCH”) of 20 Berkeley Square, London W1J 6EQ under Section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 (the “Application”) for a Development Consent Order (“DCO”). The Application was submitted by LRCH to the Secretary of State c/o the Planning Inspectorate (“the Inspectorate”) on 31 December 2020 and was accepted on 28 January 2021. The reference number applied to the Application by the Inspectorate is BC080001.
Summary of the project
The DCO application is a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) under the Planning Act 2008 and would create a leisure and entertainment resort which will be located on land in and around the Swanscombe Peninsula and Tilbury which falls partly within the administrative boundaries of Dartford Borough Council, Gravesham Borough Council and Thurrock Council (“the Development”).
The Development would create a leisure and entertainment resort (“the Resort”) with themed rides, shows and attractions inspired by globally recognised brands to create a unique, world-class entertainment destination.
The Resort will include the Leisure Core, comprising a range of events spaces, themed rides and attractions, entertainment venues, theatres and cinemas, developed in landscaped settings in two phases known as Gate One and Gate Two. The Gates will include visitor entrance areas, ancillary retail, dining and entertainment facilities, guest facilities, and pedestrian, cycle and emergency service access routes, and associated facilities. The Development would also include the following principal elements—
- four hotels providing a range of accommodation totalling up to 3,550 suites or ‘keys’. One or more of these hotels might be located within the leisure core. One hotel will incorporate a water park;
- a ‘Conferention’ Centre (i.e. combined conference and convention) with a floor area of up to 11,000 m2, capable of hosting a wide range of entertainment, sporting, exhibition and business events;
- a linked building hosting a range of eSports, video and computer gaming events, with a total floorspace of up to 16,500 m2;
- a ‘Back of House’ area accommodating many of the necessary supporting technical and logistical operations to enable the Resort to function, including security command and crisis centre, maintenance facilities, costuming, employee administration, employee welfare, medical facilities, offices and storage;
- car parks with a capacity of up to 10,750 spaces;
- the A2 Highways Works comprising a signalised at-grade gyratory junction to replace two existing roundabouts at the A2(T) / B259 junction;
- land remediation works;
- terrain remodelling, landscape works and planting;
- a people mover and transport interchanges;
- a Resort access road of up to four lanes (i.e. up to two lanes in each direction);
- local transport links;
- river transport infrastructure on both sides of the Thames, including floating jetty and ferry terminals and the repair or replacement of White’s Jetty;
- utility compounds, plant and service infrastructure;
- flood defence and drainage works;
- habitat creation and enhancement and public access;
- security and safety provisions;
- data centres to support the Resort requirement; and
- up to 500 dwellings as Resort staff accommodation, typically consisting of 4-6 bedrooms and shared kitchen and lounge facilities.
The DCO would authorise the compulsory acquisition of land, interests in land and rights over land, and the powers to use land permanently and temporarily for the construction, operation and maintenance of the Development.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Due to its nature and size, the Development is “EIA development” within the meaning of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. This means that the Development constitutes development for which an Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) is required. The Application is therefore accompanied by an Environmental Statement (“ES”) documenting the findings of the EIA undertaken.
Copies of Application Documents
The application form and its accompanying documents, plans and maps, including the Environmental Statement and draft DCO, are available to view electronically and download, free of charge, on the Inspectorate’s project website being a website maintained by or on behalf of the Secretary of State: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south-east/the-london-resort/?ipcsection=docs
The documents will be available on the website until at least 31 March 2021.
On request one USB stick per party containing the documents can be provided free of charge by contacting LRCH via email at info@londonresortcompany.co.uk or by telephone 0800 470 0043.
Alternatively you can request a free loan of a tablet containing the Application Documents, limited to one tablet loan per party. Subject to availability, a loaned electronic tablet can be delivered to your chosen address by courier arranged by LRCH and collected after 31 March 2021. Reasonable charges may apply to cover the cost of delivery. To make a request, please use the Applicant’s contact details above.
LRCH would normally make available at least one location for viewing a hard copy of the application documents in the vicinity of the application site. However, due to the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and the UK Government’s advice relating to health and safety, we are unable to do so. LRCH notes that the Government has issued guidance that a website is a “place” for the purposes of inspecting documents across all planning regimes and we therefore strongly encourage you to take advantage of the electronic methods of viewing the application documents set out above.
If you require alternative methods for inspection of the application documents, please telephone LRCH on: 0800 470 0043 or email: info@londonresortcompany.co.uk. Your request will be considered and we will endeavour to accommodate it if possible and within reason. Anyone can use these details to receive guidance on using the project website, a USB stick containing the application documents free of charge, and/or a loan of the application documents on an electronic document reader during the period for making Representations.
Making representations about the proposed DCO
Any person may make representations on the Application to the Secretary of State (i.e. giving notice of any interest in or objection to the Application). Any representation relating to the Application must be submitted on the Inspectorate’s Registration and Relevant Representation Form and give the grounds on which it is made. The Inspectorate have issued detailed advice on registering as an interested party and making a relevant representation, to which you are advised to have regard. This Advice Note (8.2 – How to Register to Participate in an Examination) is published on the National Infrastructure Planning website under ‘Legislation and Advice’ and can be found at:
https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2013/04/Advice-note-8-2v3.pdf The Registration and Relevant Representation form will be made available by the Inspectorate once the registration/representation period has opened on the relevant page for the Application via the National Infrastructure Planning website: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/southeast/the-london-resort/?ipcsection=docs:
If you are unable to complete a registration form online and would like to register your interest, please call the Inspectorate’s helpline on: 0303 444 5000, quoting the name of the Application and the Inspectorate’s reference number BC080001.
Please ensure that you quote reference number BC080001 in all correspondence with the Inspectorate about the Application. The period during which you can submit a Relevant Representation to the Inspectorate begins on 19 February 2021, being the calendar day after the date this Section 56 Notice is first published, and will end on 31 March 2021. Representations must be received by the Planning Inspectorate by 23:59 on 31 March 2021.
Please note that any submitted representations to the Inspectorate will be published on the National Infrastructure Planning website for the Application and will be subject to their privacy policy which can be viewed at: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/help/privacy-and-cookie/
Further information about the Application is available on the LRCH website www.londonresort.info or may be obtained from LRCH as follows:
Email: info@londonresortcompany.co.uk
Telephone: 0800 470 0043.
Any details you provide to LRCH via the telephone or e-mail will be subject to our privacy policy, which is available to view at: https://londonresort.info/privacy-policy/
18 February 2021
