Bluewater's biggest attraction has been granted permission to boost its visitor numbers.

Hangloose Adventure Park hosts England's longest zipwire, Europe's biggest swing, and the UK's only outdoor skydive machine.

Part of its planning permission in 2021 restricted the park to 50k visitors in any calendar year, but it has now been granted permission by Dartford's Development Control Board to increase this to 125k visitors per year.

The original visitor cap was included to ensure the park did not have an adverse impact on local roads, and for the sake of neighbouring residents.

Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council raised concerns about the impact the increase in guests would have on wildlife, traffic and air quality.

Stone Parish Council also objected to the application for the increase, believing an additional 75,000 guests each year would increase congestion and impact local wildlife.

The council believed this would oppose its aim laid out in its strategic plan to "protect the environment from detrimental impact or worsening of issues such as air quality and loss of local green space".

The council also received four letters of objection – three of these were from residents who do not live in close proximity to Bluewater, but one was from a resident in St James Lane, which is immediately to the west of the site.

The residents raised concerns about the impact on biodiversity and wildlife, and on highway infrastructure.

They commented that while the cap currently limits to 50,000 people, visitors may use more than one activity at the park, and previous predictions on visitor numbers had been wrong in the past.

Residents also added that the main increase in visitor numbers will be from July to September, which coincides with the summer beach facility at Bluewater.

This event already results in the loss of 800 parking spaces.

One resident also said shouts and screams can be heard in St James Lane and the increase in numbers would worsen this issue.

They added that noise from staff on the tower, and the use of radios can also be heard.

Permission was granted in April last year to allow for opening hours of 10am to 5pm from March 1 to July 14, from 10am to 8pm from July 15 to September 10, and from 10am to 4pm from September 11 until February 28/29.

The increase in the visitor cap has been approved, subject to conditions, including that no use of the park should be carried on outside of these hours, to avoid unreasonable disturbance to nearby residents.

Another condition is that within three months of the date permission was granted, a review of pedestrian routes to and from the site and disabled access facilities should be undertaken and submitted to the local planning authority for approval.