Plans for new theme park at Chessington World of Adventures

The popular resort in South London wants to redevelop one of its oldest areas to deliver a ‘wow factor’ for visitors.

Owner Merlin Entertainments submitted plans to Kingston Council to replace Wild Asia, which has some of the resort’s oldest rides and buildings, and a neighbouring glamping site with the new themed land.

Only one existing ride, known as Kobra, would be kept and rethemed for the new attraction.

The new themed land would have an indoor and outdoor rollercoaster, indoor immersive children’s ride, themed play areas and sensory environments to attract families with children aged six to 12.

It would have new food and drink outlets with themed menus, a courtyard and shop selling exclusive merchandise.

Planning documents warned visitor numbers will decline at Chessington without this investment, with fewer people visiting the resort in 2023 than before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019.

They said the new themed land would deliver a ‘wow factor’ to refresh Chessington’s offer and upgrade an area long overdue for investment.

The glamping site to be removed under the plans, known as Explorer Glamping, only had temporary permission to stay open until September 2025.

The documents said: “The ‘need’ to continue investing in the right way is critical to the resort’s success, and in doing so will help to ensure it is able to compete with other leisure/visitor attractions in the South East, e.g. Paultons Park in Hampshire and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London ‘The Making of Harry Potter’.”

They added: “Merlin is very keen for the resort to become a year-round attraction and the indoor elements proposed in the new themed land would help this transition.

“This ‘evolution’ will add to the attractiveness of the resort to guests and will help to ‘smooth’ the visitor number profile, potentially reducing the summer peak and spreading this into other months.”

Details of the theme chosen for the new land will be revealed in due course. Construction work could begin as early as 2025 and be completed by 2027, if the scheme is approved.

Chessington first opened to the public as a zoo in 1931.

It was later transformed into a theme park and now has more than 1,000 animals in its zoo and sealife centre, over 40 rides and attractions, two themed hotels and a Go Ape course.

Merlin has wider plans to improve Chessington by opening a new waterpark with themed water slides, wave, infinity and spa pools, lazy and rapid rivers, an aqua play area, splash pad, safari ‘beach’, cabanas, a snack bar and café.

It submitted plans last year to expand the resort’s safari hotel to build the waterpark, in a bid to rival the likes of Disney and Universal Studios.

Kingston Council will decide on both planning applications in due course.