London Paramount takes a huge step forward as first non-infrastructure Planning Act 2008 scheme direction announced

First non-infrastructure Planning Act 2008 scheme direction announced

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has announced that proposals for a major new Disney-style theme park in Kent will be determined by the Planning Act 2008 regime originally set up to handle nationally significant infrastructure projects.

The scheme, currently known as London Paramount, is earmarked for a 200-hectare site at Swanscombe, close to Ebbsfleet Station.

The project is the first to be treated as a development of national significance following the Government’s decision to allow certain specified non-infrastructure schemes to use the regime.

The minister’s direction letter said he considered that “the proposal would be likely to have significant economic Impact, be important in driving growth in the economy, and that it would have an impact on an area wider than a single local authority area. The Secretary of State also considers that the substantial physical size of the proposal is relevant to his decision that this project is of national significance.

“The SoS also thinks that this would be a project that would benefit from the ‘single authorisation’ process offered by the Planning Act 2008 regime.”

London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), the company behind the theme park proposal, has welcomed the move.

The location of the project on the North Kent coast straddles the boundary between two local planning authorities - Gravesham and Dartford Borough Councils.

Breaking News...

A new lower Thames crossing could end up in Dartford, Swanscombe or near Gravesend

by Thom Morristmorris@thekmgroup.co.uk

Dartford Crossing

Rumours are flying that an announcement on plans for the lower Thames crossing could be made tomorrow.

There are no certainties as to when word will be made on which of the three sites the government had opted for. But suggestions have been made that it could come as part of the government’s autumn statement - where the Chancellor updates MPs on the government’s spending plans - tomorrow.

The announcement of plans for a new lower Thames crossing was made in the autumn statement of 2011.

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson’s office said they had not been made aware on an announcement while Gravesham MP Adam Holloway said he had “heard the rumour” and was “quite worried about it”.

The three options for a new lower Thames crossing are: at the site of the existing crossing; connecting the A2 Swanscombe Peninsula with the A1089; joining the M2 with the A13 and the M25 between junctions 29 and 30 as well as widening the A229 between the M2 and M20.

Options for a new Thames crossing

In the House of Lords last week, Lord Adonis questioned when a response to the public consultation on the sites would be published.

The Minister of State, Department for Transport Baroness Kramer said: “The government expects to publish the consultation response and make an announcement before the end of this year.”

Tomorrow afternoon, a further debate on the crossing is expected with the question coming from Lord Hanningfield on “plans to construct a further bridge near the current Dartford river crossings”.

Power plant bid for Swanscombe Site 107: Land at Lower Road, Swanscombe

Site 107: Land at Lower Road, Swanscombe

How the site could look

View the application details on line

Site 107

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Land at Lower Road, Swanscombe

4.11 This area of land has been put forward as a location for an energy from waste facility. An estimated 20Mw of electricity would be produced from the gasification of non-recyclable, commercial waste consisting of sorted and blended cardboard, paper, waste wood and non-specific biomass material.

Strategic Environmental Assessment Summary

SA- There are no identified access issues to the the site, however, the proposed operation needs to consider the nearby AQMA at Northfleet Industrial Estate. Use of the existing derelict industrial land will help to minimise the impact on the local environment. There are a number of designated nature areas within 1km of the site that need to be considered.

HRA- Given the distances of this facility from European sites it is likely that the only potential impact pathway is if an Energy from Waste facility is brought forward. In that case further assessment will be required in accordance with Environment Agency guidance.

Site Specific Considerations
Natural Environment	SPA, Ramsar, SSSIs, NNR and LWS within 1km but barriers mean they are unlikely to be a significant constraint.
Heritage	Chalk Quarry is likely to have fully removed potential for finding remains.
Highways	If the proposal is granted permission, a contribution should be sought for traffic signal control at the Manor Way/ A226 London Road junction.
Hydrogeology	In Groundwater Source Protection Zone 3 and within Flood Zone 2 and Flood Zone 3.
Type of Waste	Non-recyclable commercial waste in the form of sorted and blended cardboard, paper, waste wood and non-specific biomass.

Conclusion

The site consists of previously developed land. In combination with the other allocated sites, this site will provide sufficient capacity to meet the need for new EfW capacity set out in the MWDF. Sufficient details have been submitted about the proposed development such that it can be demonstrated that the facility will be delivered within a time frame to fit the requirements of the Core Strategy.

Copyright 2013 Kent County Council

Site 107: Land at Lower Road, Swanscombe (Popup full image) 

Power plant bid for Swanscombe could affect plans for huge Paramount Park... Yes But Only if its Built...

Power plant bid for Swanscombe could affect plans for huge Paramount Park...

by Thom Morris

tmorris@thekmgroup.co.uk

Plans to build a power plant with a 213 foot chimney in Swanscombe are being opposed by Dartford council over fears it will impact on Paramount Park.

Teal Energy has submitted plans for the plant, in Manor Way, that will produce renewable energy from non-recyclable commercial waste.

Dartford council has objected over the "incompatibility" of the idea, which would be built close to the planned Paramount Park scheme.

How the site could look

The 24/7 operation will be housed in two large steel-framed buildings.

The fuel will be received and stored in one building on the northern site, which will be 2,250m2 and 36 feet high.

This will be connected by conveyor to an energy plant housed in the building on the southern site, which will be 65 feet high and be 4,247m2 with a 213 foot chimney.

Once operational, it could produce enough electricity for 45,000 homes as well as powering Paramount Park.

What Paramount Park could look like on the Swanscombe Peninsula

Proposals predict an average of 108 HGV deliveries to the site during a 12-hour period, which runs from 7am until 7pm - with routes including Stanhope Road and Swanscombe High Street.

Teal Energy says in it plans: "Our proposal differs from established energy from waste plans which traditionally have been mass incineration of non-recycled waste.

"We use clean, advanced conversion technology to generate renewable energy by converting residual recyclates, the material left after a recycling process, into an energy rich gas and using this to generate electricity. It is considered to be a virtually carbon neutral and clean technology."

Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council has also objected to the application because they are concerned about the environmental impact of the site and the impact of the gasses emitted.

They also object to the application as it will "prejudice the proposals" for theme park on the Swanscombe Peninsula.

Planning officer Sonia Bunn said: "Concern has been raised that the proposal will be detrimental to the proposals for the theme park on Swanscombe Peninsula, but as a planning application has not been submitted for this development yet this cannot specifically be taken into account.

"However, the council's Core Strategy seeks the development of Swanscombe Peninsula to bring about benefits in the area and the current proposal is considered to be prejudicial to this."

The matter will be discussed by Dartford council at a meeting on Thursday night with the ultimate decision being made by Kent County Council at a later date.

The Paramount scheme will see the third-largest theme park in the world, built on the Swanscombe peninsula with Paramount Pictures supporting it.

If planning permission is approved, it is claimed there will be 17,000 jobs on the site with a further 10,000 jobs created to meet the demands of the park.

Fears were announced during consultation for a new lower Thames crossing which could go straight through the park site.

It was revealed during the public consultation that option B for a crossing was putting investors off.

Dartford council leader Jeremy Kite said: "We are meeting experienced and highly credible investors from the UK and overseas to talk about the great opportunities here and almost the first question they now ask is why the government is even thinking about a crossing at the Swanscombe peninsula."

Consultation and Public Meetings: Options for a new Lower Thames Crossing

 The decision on where to locate a new crossing will depend on a number of economic, social and environmental factors. And we’d value your views too on these three possible locations.

Option A would add a new crossing at the site of the existing crossing on the A282 between Dartford and Thurrock.

Option B would involve a new route to connect the A2 south of the river at the Swanscombe Peninsula with the A1089 north of the river.

And option C would connect the M2 in Kent with the A13 and the M25 between junctions 29 and 30 in Essex.

We’ve also suggested a variant for option C which would not only connect the M2 with the A13 and the M25 between junctions 29 and 30, but also widen the A229 between the M2 and the M20

Options for a new Lower Thames Crossing video

I’m at the Dartford-Thurrock crossing. This is the only river crossing situated to the east of London and has been providing a vital north-south connection since the west tunnel opened back in 1963.

Since then it’s been redeveloped to accommodate increasing traffic flows. The east tunnel opened in 1980 and this iconic cable-stayed bridge opened to traffic in 1991.

It’s a key link for many business travellers, haulage companies and holidaymakers travelling to and from Europe via the channel ports and the Channel Tunnel. But the volumes of traffic mean that the existing crossing has outgrown its capacity. Congestion and delay are major problems, and it’s expected to get worse in future.

The crossing is within the Thames Gateway area where major redevelopment is planned. This means it has a much higher population growth forecast than other parts of the country, and with this increase in population, inevitably comes traffic.

Congestion is bad for our health, bad for the environment and frustrating for drivers. It also has serious implications for the economy.

Government recognises the strategic importance of the Dartford-Thurrock crossing as part of our road network. That’s why the need for additional crossing capacity in the lower Thames area was acknowledged in the 2010 comprehensive spending review announcement.

The problem can only be addressed by creating an additional crossing. So the question is: where should the new crossing be located? The government has been assessing the possible options and is currently consulting on where it could best be accommodated.

The decision on where to locate a new crossing will depend on a number of economic, social and environmental factors. And we’d value your views too on these three possible locations.

Option A would add a new crossing at the site of the existing crossing on the A282 between Dartford and Thurrock.

Option B would involve a new route to connect the A2 south of the river at the Swanscombe Peninsula with the A1089 north of the river.

And option C would connect the M2 in Kent with the A13 and the M25 between junctions 29 and 30 in Essex.

We’ve also suggested a variant for option C which would not only connect the M2 with the A13 and the M25 between junctions 29 and 30, but also widen the A229 between the M2 and the M20.

There is still a long way to go before any new crossing will be built. Deciding on the location is just the first stage. Details on how the options perform against each other can be found in the consultation document along with further details on how the options were assessed.

There will be further consultations on the type of crossing, for example will it be a tunnel or a bridge? And on the specific route once the broad location is decided. There will also be more detailed assessments of the social, economic and environmental impacts of a new crossing.

But in the meantime, government would like to hear from you. This is a significant development on our road network and it is important that all views are taken into account. So please let us know what you think by responding to the consultation.

More details are set out in the Lower Thames crossing consultation document.
And if you would like to respond you can use the online response form.
Or you can email your response to lowerthamescrossing@dft.gsi.gov.uk
We need to hear from you by 16 July 2013.

If you prefer, you can get in contact with us via this address:

Lower Thames consultation
Department for Transport
Zone 3/29, Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Road
London, SW1P 4DR

And once the consultation has closed, we’ll analyse your responses and report on the next steps.

Related documents

• Consultation on options for a new Lower Thames Crossing, written ministerial statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
• Consultation on location of new Thames crossing, press notice, 21 May 2013
• Options for a new Lower Thames Crossing
• Lower Thames Crossing model capability report
• Lower Thames Crossing design and costing report
• Lower Thames Crossing operating costs, maintenance costs and revenues report
• Central forecasts and sensitivity tests report
• Review of Lower Thames Crossing options: final review report

Building of huge £2bn Paramount theme park halted by colony of rare spiders

Building of huge £2bn Paramount theme park halted by colony of rare spiders

The consortium behind the Paramount theme park will now have to find a new home for the colony

The Paramount theme park to be completed in 2019

 Plans for a giant new £2bn theme park set to rival Disneyland Paris have been derailed - thanks to a colony of rare jumping spiders.

The theme park will be twice the size of the Olympic Park, will create 27,000 jobs and be the third biggest theme park in the world - only if the special arachnids are removed.

An environmental audit of the 872-acre brownfield site in the Swanscombe Peninsula, Kent, has found it is one of two sites in the UK where the critters dwell. The spiders are protected on a biodiversity priority species list.

London Resort Company Holdings, the consortium behind the Paramount theme park will now have to find a new home for the colony.

The Paramount scheme, supported by Paramount Pictures, aims to create Europe's largest indoor water park with theatres, live music venues, attractions, cinemas, restaurants and hotels.

Tony Sefton, project director for LRCH, said there are plans to create a 27-acre wetland wildlife park on the site.

He said: "We will look after the spiders. We're doing a good thing."

The rare jumping spider - known as the sitticus distinguendus - was found in Swanscombe Peninsula, Kent 

 

 

 

 

He said LRCH hope to find a solution similar to that reached at the London 2012 Olympic Park where species found during development were moved to a wildlife sanctuary.

Dartford Borough Council leader Jeremy Kite said there are solutions to preserving unusual species.

He said: "In the past we've moved fish, we've sent voles away on holiday; it's fairly common and protects them from building works.

"Then when they're finished they're brought back."

The only other UK home for distinguished jumping spiders, which have the Latin name sitticus distinguendus, are the West Thurrock marshes in Essex.

The spiders are on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species list, but it is not legally binding. But the list means the Joint Nature Conservation Committee has deemed the species threatened and one that requires conservation action. There is actually no law preventing developers building on the rare spiders' home.

There are 37 types of jumping spider in the UK, but worldwide it is the largest spider family, containing over 5,000 species.

They have a very large front pair of eyes, and are thought to possess the best vision for an invertebrate after cephalopods - octopus, squid and other molluscs.

This vision, along with an ability to jump, allows them to actively hunt their prey during the day.

 

Historical Guided tour of Swanscombe Marshes

Swanscombe Marshes

Historical guided tour of Swanscombe Marshes and the Swanscombe/Northfleet border (circular walk).

Venue: Meet at Geore & Dragon Public House
Date: Sunday 7 July, 2013
Time: 14:30 to 16:30

Details:
Historical guided tour of Swanscombe Marshes and the Swanscombe/northfleet border (circular walk).
Meet: 2:30pm at the George & Dragon Public House, Galley Hill, Swanscombe DA10 0LF
Guide by: Christoph Bull
Contact: 01474 320156
Donations welcome.

Development Update: Meeting set for 7pm Wednesday 28 November 2012

Paramount Pictures development

on the Swanscombe Peninsula

As we understand it there is to be a joint meeting of the Northfleet/Gravesend West and Gravesham East Neighbourhood Forums next Wednesday 28 November 2012. The meeting is scheduled to start at 7pm and is being held in the Council Chamber of Gravesham Borough Council. Doors will open at 6.45pm.

The subject of the meeting is the proposed Paramount Pictures development on the Swanscombe Peninsula. There will also be a discussion on other local regeneration initiatives and recent changes in planning.

However what we are not sure about is whether or not this meeting is open to members of the public not living within Gravesham. We appreciate this will be of interest to our members and in particular, Greenhithe & Swanscombe residents and although we applaud Gravesham Council for its proactive stance we feel a similar meeting in Dartford would be really valuable and Helpful.

Please contact your local Councillor if you agree and would like more information about the proposed Paramount Pictures development on the Swanscombe Peninsula.

Hollywood film giant Paramount plans £2billion tourist resort for north Kent to create 27,000 jobs

A computer-generated image of the Paramount entertainment complex, including a water park, bottom left

by Alan Watkins and business editor Trevor Sturgess

Hollywood film giant Paramount is to create 27,000 jobs with one of the world's biggest theme parks in north Kent. The massive £2billion project is set to transform the Swanscombe peninsula, between Gravesend and Dartford, into an international tourist destination. The entertainment complex will feature Europe's largest indoor water park, theatres, live music venues, attractions, cinemas, restaurants, event space and hotels.

It could take Paramount 18 months to get planning permission for the large-scale project, with the theme park due to open in 2018.

Derelict land next to the Ebbsfleet International station has been chosen for the huge project, on the same scale "as Disney".

It means visitors will step off the train and immediately be inside the complex - twice the size of the Olympic Park.

The proposed site covers virtually all the green areas on this map, stretching from the small Swanscombe harbour, top, as far as the new Ingress Park homes development, middle left. Picture: Google maps

A consortium of top companies has been developing the plans and working with Dartford and Gravesham councils for a year. In a joint statement, Dartford leader Jeremy Kite and Gravesham leader John Burden said: "This development represents a tremendous economic growth opportunity for the region."

Development firm London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) has been set up to spearhead the project and has signed a deal with Paramount Licensing Inc, the licensing division for the Hollywood-based Paramount Pictures.

Tony Sefton, project leader for LRCH, said: "Our vision is to create a world class entertainment destination, the first of its kind in the UK.

"We are at the start of a long journey, but have been encouraged by the support and buy-in we have had to date."
The complex is set to give a massive boost to tourism and inject millions of pounds into the local economy while the jobs will be welcomed in an area of relatively high youth unemployment.

Land between Northfleet and Ingress Park in Swanscombe which could be developed into one of the world's biggest theme parks

The ambitious proposal will transform the Swanscombe peninsula, which stretches from Ingress Park to the Ebbsfleet United football ground at Northfleet.

It involves Paramount Pictures, London and Continental Railways, the BBC and ITV, and a host of other organisations. The plans have been put together by LRCH.

The 872-acre development has the backing of the landowner, Lafarge Cement.

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Similar Spanish theme park set to open in 2015

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Until now, the area has been the subject of a series of half-hearted housing proposals within the Thames Gateway.
Revived ideas include plans for a cruise terminal to be built at deep water moorings at Northfleet, close to the park.

"We already have Eastern Quarry going ahead, and the expansion of Bluewater, which will also bring in much needed jobs for the area.

"It is an exciting time for the area."He said getting the infrastructure right was going to be key to the development.

A Paramount theme park is also planned for South Korea

Paul Wookey, chief executive of Locate in Kent, the agency that promotes the county as a great place for business growth, said the project was of such a massive scale it could only be compared to a Disney theme park.
"This will be one of the biggest job creation projects we've ever seen in Kent, on the same scale as the likes of Disney. It's a great project to have in the county and ticks all the boxes. With the economy still struggling through recession, we must welcome projects of this type."

Project leader Tony Sefton on why this could be Europe's largest entertainment complex Click here for textual description.

Kent County Council highways chief Cllr Bryan Sweetland (Con) said the park will need good road and motorway access. He confirmed the Department for Transport is now looking at a significant variation to one of the three possible routes for an additional Thames Crossing.

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Following Olympics from food to volunteers

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Cllr Sweetland said: "The possibility of a new Thames Crossing at the Swanscombe peninsula must now be taken very seriously."

The complex will see 17,000 jobs created at the park, with another 10,000 among suppliers and service organisations.

The plan also includes proposals to raise the land and tackle flood risks along the waterfront.

What do you think?

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Developers are promising:

• An "exciting" new resort in the global tourist market

• A showcase for environmental design and management

• A UK training academy for the entertainment and hospitality industries

• Apartments for the key workers

• Support for the local economy by, for example, buying Kent produce

• A new country park

• The largest single-site science and education visitor facility in Europe, generating one million educational visits a year

• A local base for manufacture and sale of leisure products

• The biggest performing arts centre in Europe

• Re-use of some Olympic infrastructure

• Emphasis on British and Kent character

• Reducing impact on roads

• The highest level of public transport arrivals of any major leisure resort in the world