Approved plans to build a renewable energy plant in Swanscombe have been met by dismay from residents, councillors and MPs who fear it will grind roads to a halt and endanger plans for the creation of Paramount Park.

Plans for the construction of the renewable energy plant - drawn up by Teal Energy Limited - were approved by Kent County Council's planning committee on September 10.

Proposals would see almost two hectares of land off Manor Way taken up by the site which would process 250,000 tonnes of organic waste a year into renewable energy.

The plant would see 109 HGVs leave and enter the site everyday - with one journey taking place every seven minutes.

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Councillor Bryan Read, lead member of Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents Association who has lived in Eglinton Road for 54 years has spoken out against the plans - which have now been 'called-in' by the government in a last ditch attempt to stop them going ahead.

Cllr Read said: "It will mean 109 heavy goods vehicles a day going down London Road and Manor Road - add this to the 17million people expected each year to visit Paramount Park and it will be chaos.

"The roads are already overloaded, it can take hours to get anywhere.

"If we had the right infrastructure it would be OK but you have to work with what you've got an we don't have that."

Maura Lee, aged 67 of Trebble Road which runs close to Manor Way said: "It’s ridiculous really – Paramount Park will bring enough change and this will be the icing on the cake.

"Surely they could have it somewhere else with not as much going on, the roads just won’t be able to cope, they’re bad enough as it is."

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson has slated the plans - voicing concern over the impact it would have on the £2billion Paramount Park scheme planned close to the Manor Road site which will feature a water park, theme park, sporting facilities, an entertainment street, a staff training academy and nearly 5,000 hotel rooms.

He said: "I have formally asked the Department for Communities and Local Government to suspend the decision and enable the Secretary of State to make any final decision."

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Kent County Council's cabinet member for economic development, Mark Dance, has also spoken out against the approval, claiming to be "equally disappointed" with the decision to grant planning permission.

Mr Dance added: "The Paramount Project from its outset has had my full support and still does.

"I know how frustrating it sounds but the members of the planning committee could only vote on what was in front of them.

"The committee obviously agreed - although not unanimously - with officers’ recommendation that there was not sufficient reason to refuse the application on purely planning grounds."