Labour’s Angela Rayner urged to revoke London Resort’s planning permission for theme park on Swanscombe Peninsula

Environmentalists are urging the new Labour government to revoke its planning permission for a multi-billion pound theme park to rival Disneyland.

Proposals were first put forward for the London Resort project on the Swanscombe Peninsula in October 2012.

However, more than a decade on and the project, which promised tens of thousands of jobs, hotels and world-class rides, is not off the cards, despite a number of setbacks.

The latest saga saw the plot of land put up for sale by Swanscombe Development LLP - the company which owned the freehold on the 372-acre former cement works site - in June.

However, investors related to the £2.5 billion scheme are believed to be among parties vying to buy it.

Savills, the agents handling the sale of the Swanscombe Development company, confirmed “negotiations were ongoing” with interested parties for the site last month.

Yet despite no concrete offers being publicly put forward, several wildlife charities have now written to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Angela Rayner.

Members of charities Buglife, CPRE Kent, Kent Wildlife Trust and the RSPB are now calling on the Labour Party's deputy leader to help end the project by revoking planning permission for it entirely.

The Swanscombe Peninsula, which was given status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 2021, has more than 2,000 species of invertebrate and 82 species of breeding birds.

Conservationists say this makes it one of the most important breeding bird sites in southeast England.

Campaigners, including Buglife's Jamie Robins, believe action needs to be taken to prevent the resort from being given the nod.

The charity's programme manager says now is the right time to demand a decision be taken given the project has now reached the 10-year mark of becoming the subject of a Development Consent Order.

This is the means of obtaining planning permission for developments referred to as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).

Mr Robins explained: “We have known for years the site is a haven for wildlife, but the threat of a theme park continues to hang over it - leaving the community uncertain over the future of their much-loved green space, year after year.

"After a decade of uncertainty, the time has come for the Secretary of State to remove this unnecessary and damaging planning status so we can take the steps to save it.

“The Swanscombe Peninsula is a unique site, home to thousands of species of animal and plant and an unrivalled green space for the local community with the potential to be a nature park accessible to all.

"We are in a nature crisis and the government has committed to protecting 30% of the UK for wildlife.

"We need to defend nature and to start by protecting SSSI sites like Swanscombe Peninsula once and for all and helping to make the [2022] Vision for the Swanscombe Peninsula a reality."

After falling into administration, London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) has, since April 2023, been subject to what is known as a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).

In short, this is a measure deployed by companies in financial problems which allows it to strike a deal with those it owes money to - its creditors - to extend payment terms or accept lesser amounts.

In addition, Steve Norris, who had been chairman of LRCH, quit the role in April, leaving the company in an apparent state of limbo.

It is believed to have spent £100m since the ambitious plans were first announced in 2012 but, so far, has failed to put a spade in the ground.