The leader of Dartford Council has lambasted Tesco for its continued failure to build a new store in the town.

Councillor Jeremy Kite branded the troubled retail giant’s treatment of Dartford as “nothing short of a scandal”.

​Demolition work on derelict buildings at the proposed site of a new store at 26 to 142 Lowfield Street was meant to start at the end of July.

But that date has now been put back until the beginning of November in the latest delay to hit a project which has been mooted for 12 years.

Coun Kite said: “Tesco’s treatment of Dartford has been nothing short of a scandal and although they say no decision has been made to change direction on its Dartford retail scheme, I get the impression they simply don’t have a clue what might happen next.

“Tesco appears to have no proper strategy and I have told them straightforwardly that Dartford will not stand by while they dither and further harm our town.”

Dartford Labour councillor for Stone Jonathon Hawkes said: “I don’t believe, and no one who heard Jeremy Kite address Dartford Council on October 6 thinks he believes, that Tesco will ever build this store.”

A Labour statement added: “It is nothing short of astonishing that the council leader now sees fit to announce a lack of faith in Tesco when as recently as August he told residents that he and Tesco had ‘cleared the last hurdle’ to the development starting.

“The Conservatives have failed to influence the management of Tesco, failed to prepare a plan B and failed to deliver a long term strategy for regenerating our town centre.”

Dartford Council and the Town Team, tasked with leading regeneration of the high street after Dartford was awarded £79,500 under the Portas Pilot scheme in May 2012, are now to publish their own high street revival proposals.

Coun Kite said: “We have developed a vision for the town centre based on heritage and our market town traditions, just as we did with Central Park, and we want local people to tell us whether we have got it right or if there are other things they want to see.”

A Tesco spokesman said: “We’ve now secured the approvals we need for the demolition works on site and will begin demolition at the start of November.

"We continue to work closely with Dartford Council on our plans and will keep the local community updated on progress.”