Racist-Theory-Touting Theme Park Planned for Blackpool [Updated]

A huge new theme park is opening at Blackpool, UK, inspired by Ancient Alien conspiracy theory books from the 1960s and 70s by Swiss author Erich von Däniken, with an exhibition exploring theories that aliens influenced ancient civilisations (Helen Carter, 'A huge new theme park is opening an hour's drive from Manchester - and it's inspired by a book that says aliens have visited earth', Manchester Evening News, 23 JAN 2021). The 17-acre site is in the town centre, off Central Drive.

Blackpool Council is preparing to use compulsory purchase powers to secure land for a £300m entertainment complex. It means land and property owners within the boundaries of land earmarked for the 'Blackpool Central' project can expect to be forced to sell up so redevelopment can start soon. The main tenant of the redeveloped site will be the Chariots of the Gods Entertainment Park [...] The entertainment complex will be 'based upon unsolved mysteries of the past, such as the pyramids of Egypt and Mexico, ancient cave drawings, the monuments of Easter Island and alien visitors' [...] and an alien-themed diner, as well as a hotel and an events square. [...] It is estimated that the development will draw in 600,000 additional visitors a year with a combined annual spend of £75 million, creating 1,000 jobs.

The council has signed an exclusivity agreement with developer Nikal and Media Invest Entertainment, who own the rights to von Däniken's work. There was once a Von Daniken 'Mystery Park' in Interlaken in Switzerland - a whole theme park devoted to his ideas. It opened in 2003 but soon hit financial problems and controversy, and closed in 2006 after the projected 500,000 guests per year failed to materialise (Closure of Mystery Park is no enigma  Swissinfo.ch).

It's not clear why Blackpool councillors hit upon this idea when it failed so spectacularly in Switzerland. Nor, given the racist undertones of the whole ancient astronauts construction, is it at all clear why just now such a racist show would be being contemplated in Lancashire, one of the areas involved in the African slave trade  

UPDATE 26th Jan 2021

Andy Brockman @pipelinenews 2 g. Done some work on that headline: "Blackpool Council backs theme park based on racist pseudo history by convicted fraudster."