Classification: Public Key Decision: No Gravesham Borough Council Report to: Cabinet Date: 7 September 2020 Reporting officer: Director (Planning and Development) Subject: London Resort Consultation Purpose and summary of report: To appraise the Cabinet of the content of the current consultation being undertaken on the London Resort and highlight some of the issues that the project will need to address Recommendations: This report is for information only 1. Introduction 1.1 On 27 July 2020 London Resort launched a statutory consultation on its current proposals. The project is being taken forward by means of a Development Consent Order application (DCO) which is currently timetabled for November 2020. 1.2 In 2014/2015 London Resort went through a number of steps in the statutory process, however it has been agreed with the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) that these be repeated given the evolution of the project and the passage of time. 1.3 In July 2020, an Environmental Scoping report was submitted to PINS on which Gravesham, and other Local Authorities and Statutory Agencies commented. Gravesham’s response was detailed, and a copy of the submitted report (approved by the Executive) with a detailed response at section 4 and associated appendices, are attached as Appendices 2 and 3 respectively. 1.4 PINS issued the scoping opinion on 29 July 2020, which sets out the areas the applicant needs to look at and provide information on. This does not mean that these will turn out to have significant effects (positive or negative) but that they need to be researched and evaluated. 1.5 The current consultation material consists of: Section 47 & 48 Notices (statutory notices) Guide to Consultation Illustrative Master Plan - as seen before Illustrative Parameter Plans – give an idea of scale and massing of the development Land Plans – which show land to be acquired or used (below is GBC only) Draft Development Consent Order Draft Explanatory Memorandum – includes development description Works Plans (geographical extent of the schedule in draft DCO – see below) New Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC) and comments thereon Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment (PEIR) – chapters and non- technical summary 2. The current proposals 2.1 The current development description (see plans in Appendix 4) is for the construction of buildings and facilities for tourism and leisure uses including: events spaces, themed rides, entertainment venues, theatres and cinemas; ancillary retail, dining and entertainment facilities; guest facilities; two internal visitor entrance areas comprising ticketing point and ancillary commercial uses; hard and soft landscaping including amenity water features such as ponds and canals; and pedestrian and cycle access routes including the provision of pedestrian and cycle infrastructure. 2.2 The construction of up to three multi-storey parking buildings within the Dartford / Gravesham portion of the site as part of a maximum provision of 7,500 car spaces, 150 coach parking spaces, 350 motorcycle spaces and 250 secure cycle spaces for visitors. 2.3 The construction of up to three multi-storey parking buildings within the Thurrock portion of the site as part of a maximum provision of 2,500 car spaces and 55 coach parking spaces for visitors. 2.4 Highway works comprising works to the A2 to provide a junction connecting the A2 with the road leading to the proposed development; 2.5 Associated works related to the safeguarding and diversion of underground utility connections. 2.6 Associated development four hotels with a total of up to 3,550 rooms providing family, upmarket, luxury and themed accommodation; a covered market with ancillary uses including kitchens, storage, loading, servicing and laundry services; a ‘conferention centre’ (a combined conference and convention centre) with a floor area of up to 11,000 m2 and eSports Arena with a total floorspace of up to 16,500 m2 including ancillary accommodation and loading bay; 2 an enclosed waterpark; ‘Back of House’ buildings and facilities to support the proposed development’s operations including: (a) a security command and crisis centre; (b) maintenance facilities; (c) costuming facilities; (d) employee administration and welfare; (e) medical facilities; (f) offices; (g) storage facilities; (h) service roads and access roads connection to local network; (i) hard and soft landscaping including amenity features; and (j) up to 500 staff car spaces: a visitor centre and staff training facilities building with associated staff parking; a road leading from the A2(T) to the proposed development of up to four lanes (i.e. up to two lanes in each direction); ecological mitigation and enhancement works; a transport interchange area with coach driver facilities, pedestrian plaza, landscaping, pedestrian and cycle way, ‘people mover’ road, vehicle road, coach parking and a maximum provision of 250 car spaces; services and infrastructure buildings including energy centre, district cooling plant, service yard, welfare facilities, substations, data centres, central backup generator, central gas boiler backup, water storage and treatment stations, grey water recycling, and waste transfer facilities; a river boat terminal and floating pontoon on the south side of the River Thames; works to the existing Tilbury Riverside Terminal, and the creation of pedestrian routes and a floating pontoon and flood defence works on the north side of the River Thames; the construction of a dedicated terminal building for visitors and staff arriving by rail at Ebbsfleet International Station, including retail and catering facilities; the creation of a green zone to include areas of environmental enhancement and wildlife habitat creation adjacent to the River Thames including the creation of pedestrian and cycle routes; the enhancement of flood defence works; the construction of staff accommodation of up to 500 dwellings, including associated vehicle, cycle and pedestrian routes and landscape works; roundabout upgrade works on the north side of the River Thames; highway upgrade / capacity works on the north side of the River Thames; works to an existing surface level car park; works to Ebbsfleet International Station surface car park; 3 the construction of a multi-storey car park, including two alternative locations for such car park; works and connections to the existing Southern Water Northfleet Sewage Treatment Plant works and connections related to the existing UKPN Ebbsfleet substation works and connections related to the existing UKPN Northfleet East substation further associated development within the Order limits including: (a) ancillary support and servicing facilities; (b) internal estate roads, maintenance accesses and footways; (c) bunds, embankments, swales, landscaping and boundary treatments, earthworks and earthwork retaining structures; (d) footways, cycle tracks, bridleways and footpath linkages; (e) water supply works, foul drainage provision, foul pumping stations, surface water management systems, balancing ponds (surface and underground), attenuation and culverting; (f) connections to mains services and provision of utilities infrastructure including secondary substations and gas pressure reducing stations; (g) diversion of high pressure gas main, other pipelines and services; (h) demolition of existing buildings and structures within the Order limits; (i) provision of security features to include security fencing, gatehouses, CCTV and ancillary measures; (j) public art; (k) signage including archways; (l) lighting; (m) general maintenance facilities; (n) enhancements to existing public transport infrastructure and services; (o) infrastructure to allow connection to existing electricity, gas and water/waste water networks, including relocation of apparatus of statutory undertakers’ equipment where required; (p) drainage works; (q) hard and soft landscape works throughout the development, incorporating earth shaping; (r) provision of ecological mitigation; (s) works to protect features of archaeological and paleontological interest; (t) ancillary emergency response facilities such as medical and fire points; and (u) such other works as may be necessary or expedient for the purpose of or in connection with the construction (including site compounds) or use of the authorised development and which are within the scope of the environmental impact assessment recorded in the environmental statement or which are unlikely to give rise to any materially new or materially different environmental effects from those assessed in the Environmental Statement. 4 2.7 In summary the resort consists of two Leisure cores (Gate 1 to be built first) around a central area with hotels, restaurants and retail space out on Swanscombe Peninsular, split between Dartford and Gravesham. There is extensive parking and a transport interchange. Access is from the A2 by means of a dedicated dual carriageway from the Ebbsfleet junction alongside HS1. Additional transport facilities and a bus link are provided from Ebbsfleet International (on what is now car park F). 2.8 There is pedestrian access from Swanscombe via Pilgrims Road. There will also be access from Manor Way (Swanscombe) for local buses and deliveries. Footpaths will be retained/diverted out on the Peninsular where there will be a jetty for ferry services to Central London and Tilbury (public access is possible through the resort). 2.9 At Tilbury it is proposed to provide additional car parking and enhanced