London Paramount theme park gets £100 million from Chinese investor

The roller-coaster ride to build the UK’s biggest theme park has won a major boost after a top Chinese investor ploughed £100 million into the project.

The London Paramount Entertainment Resort, a Disneyland-style park planned for North Kent, has won its maiden investment from Chinese construction company SinoFortone.

The investment is the first slug of cash raised for the £3.2 billion project, which is set to comprise a theme park, theatre, hotels and restaurants.

London Paramount boss David Testa said it “reflects the unique economic and regenerative opportunity provided by this multi-billion-pound project”.

Kleinwort Benson is leading the fundraising and said it hopes to attract a further £900 million from global investors.

It is also in talks with a major bank to syndicate a £2 billion loan to fund the venture.

“We have been out to China and talked to bigger groups involved in these types of projects and had a universally strong hearing in China,” Kleinwort’s Nigel Spray said.

“We’re not intending to go to UK and European investors at this juncture but they could come in post planning”