DESPITE bitter opposition, a controversial plan for a multi-million pound redevelopment of Dartford town centre is to go ahead.

By midnight last night Development Control Board members had said yes to a road through Central Park, yes to Tesco’s, yes to more housing and yes to demolition of buildings in a conservation area.

What residents will get is a new park. In a compromise gesture land that has been a no-go area will be open to the public. This means the park will double in size to 54 acres.

Deputy leader Cllr Jeremy Kite announced: “Dartford has been on the shelf for a long time. We knew it would be difficult and it has been tough. But the reason we have endured this is because we are responsible for the people of this place.”

He added: “The call from the people has been to save our park and tonight I think we have done just this and we can sleep easy.”

The council plans to buy up land from GlaxoSmithKline and the club’s facilities will be open to all.

The deputy leader added: “This is our ambition. The park is the lung of Dartford but at the moment we are using just a small part of it. We have ignored the river going through the park.”

But as one-by-one councillors took the vote screams of “shame on you” filled the chamber, whenever one voted in favour of the scheme. But not every councillor was in favour of the plans.

Cllr John Muckle said: “The highway is the greatest concern to me and the road through the park is not safe. I am very angry. I have been in favour of redeveloping Dartford. But I will not vote for a development that is will be negative when it has the potential to be positive. I will vote against it.”

Angry people left outside the Civic Centre caused chaos in the foyer as they tried to storm the doors to get into the public meeting.

Police were called to deal with the disturbance but seemed to make the situation worse when they told the enraged crowd that as they were at the council building dealing with the commotion, they could not attend crime incidents in the area.

Only 80 members of the public were allowed into the meeting and the 100 more people had to wait outside.

Dartford Borough Council hadn’t even rigged up loud speakers so that those left out in the cold could be part of what was happening in the council chamber.

John West from Dartford was incensed at having the doors closed in his face. He said: “This is an absolute disgrace. This is a public meeting and as members of the public, provisions should have been made to make sure we could all fit in.

“But obviously the council did not want to hold the meeting in a larger venue as they don’t want the fuss.

“The people of Dartford are angry and infuriated by the way we have been treated and we will not back down. We don’t want a new supermarket and our park cut up by a road and we will fight it all the way.”

Those left outside began chanting ‘save our park’ under the window where the meeting was taking place.

They then moved their cars closer so that beeping horns could accompany their song.

FOR A FULL REPORT AND REACTION TO THE DECISION SEE THE SEPTEMBER 2 EDITION OF THE DARTFORD MESSENGER