Backlash against the company behind a major theme park planned for Swanscombe has continued as businesses in the peninsula claim jobs could be lost as the plans were delayed again.

On Monday (April 30), the developer of The London Resort, London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), announced that the submission of plans to build the multi-billion pound theme park were being pushed back due to a clash with other development plans in the same area.

Now a group of 140 businesses in the area claim the constant delays are “killing business growth” and pushing them towards making redundancies as uncertainty over their future looms.

Peninsula Management Group has written to the government and called on local and national politicians to help resolve the “endless situation” to help businesses progress.

Mark Hull, a landowner on the site, said that some businesses in the peninsula are holding back from investing in necessary facilities but are unable to get bank loans due to the “LRCH cloud hanging over them.”

Mr Hull also criticised the government for its lack of action. He said: “If it was a major corporation threatening 5,000 redundancies, the government would be throwing all of its relevant Ministers, civil servants and efforts at trying to minimise any impact.

The group has claimed that LRCH has not announced any funds to help the business relocate or close should the plans go ahead.

Dartford Council leader Jeremy Kite implored LRCH to reconsider the impact of their work and timescale on the businesses on the site.

Although he hoped the developer would find a solution to the clashes in planning proposals, he insisted that the rights of the business owners needed to be considered.

Cllr Kite said: “These businesses have every bit as much right to be able to plan for the future as LRCH and they are in need of support and assistance.

“I shall be taking up their situation with LRCH once again.”

A spokeswoman for London Resort Company Holdings said: “We have, to date, spent approximately £55m and, as is not unusual for a project of this scale, the pace of activity has varied.

"We know that many people are disappointed that we are revising our programme, but we cannot, nor should we seek, to shortcut proper process in our assessments simply to meet our self-imposed deadlines.”