Additional reporting by Keely Greenwood.

The company which owns much of the land earmarked for the multi-billion pound Disneyland-rivalling London Resort project is up for sale - potentially driving the final nail in the coffin of the ambitious theme park proposals.

Swanscombe Development LLP owns some 372 acres of the peninsula as well as around 39 acres of the Manor Way Business Park.

It had granted an option for the team behind London Resort to buy the land to build the leisure complex. But that expired in December 2022 and has not been renewed since.

London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) which was behind the £2.5 billion park plans, had invested more than £4m in acquiring the option - all non-refundable in the event of no purchase.

But now Swanscombe Development LLP - a 50/50 joint venture between Aggregate Industries and Anglo American International Holdings is up for sale. And with it, the freehold on the land.

Property firm Savills is handling the sale - for an undisclosed sum - and is inviting offers up until a deadline of July 26.

In its description of the site, Savills says: “The land forms part of an area that is the subject of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) status relating to the proposed London Resort entertainment resort/theme park.

“It was subject to a Development Consent Order submission accepted for examination in January 2021 but later withdrawn. The London Resort scheme retains NSIP status.

“An option agreement in favour of London Resort lapsed in December 2022 and has not been renewed.”

The land comprises of the former Swanscombe Cement Works, which closed in 1994.

Much of the peninsula was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England in 2021 owing to its grassland, wetlands, birds, and invertebrate species – including one of the rarest kinds of spiders in the country.

It was this categorisation which is thought to have part derailed the London Resort scheme.

Conservation groups involved in the Save Swanscombe Peninsula campaign, which is against the theme park proposals, say the potential sale does not come as a shock.

Sally Smith, press and advocacy officer at Kent Wildlife Trust, said: "It hasn't come as a complete surprise, the plans for the London Resort and the theme park on the site have been dead in the water for some time.”

The conservation charity would now like to see the "special planning constraints" on the site, in the form of the NSIP, removed to "take away uncertainty".

"We've been fighting to have that special planning removed from the site so it can be protected for nature for future generations to come,” added Sally.

"While that hovers over it there is complete uncertainty as to what happens there.”

Developers behind the London Resort proposals had claimed their would protect the nature on-site while delivering jobs, money and the regeneration of a brownfield site.

They accused Natural England, which granted the SSSI designation, of trying to "frustrate" its plans and labelled its assessment as "unreasonable and unjustified".

An alternative vision for the neglected "nature oasis" along the river banks of the Thames Estuary was put forward by the Save Swanscombe Peninsula Group which has been working with Buglife, CPRE Kent, Kent Wildlife Trust and RSPB.

And residents have also put forward their views on the future of the site.

Annette Livie, 67, who lives in Swanscombe, said: “It should be left for the birds and the wildlife.

“Not every area of land needs to be built on. The area has so much new development at the moment and it can’t cope. Leave it as it is.”

Lee Ingram said: “I would like there to be a water park. There used to be one in Stone years ago. Or it’s big enough for a golf course. Something like Chatham Dockyard would also be good.

Lisa Ingram, who runs a business in Swanscombe High Street added: “It needs to be something that is going to bring people to the area to help the businesses but that is not going to put too much pressure on the infrastructure."

She likes the idea of making it more of a place for leisure activities, like a country park.

"It would be nice to have somewhere that is peaceful and outdoorsy where people could walk and ride bikes.

“It could be a mixture of St Andrews Lake and Bewl Water and be a country park."

But not everyone was against the theme park plans and some were sad to see the plans seemingly fall by the wayside.

Kathy Wilmot, who works on Swanscombe High Street, said: "I was actually really looking forward to the theme park.

"But if that is not going to happen part of it could be a zoo then another part could be a fishing lake for the dads, a Wetherspoons pub and a petting farm for the children."

Meanwhile, around 140 companies continue to trade on the land previously earmarked to build the £2.5bn attraction.

Denise Lee, officer manager at Blazon Fabrications, operating from Northfleet Industrial Estate, said she just wants the whole issue to go away.

"We just want it to disappear completely so we can just settle back down and get on with business,” she said.

"We have had it looming over us for so long."

And she said she doesn't understand how they can even consider building anything on that land while Galley Hill Road is still closed due to the landslide last year.

“Whatever they build the road infrastructure will not be able to cope with,” she added. “Cars can't get through here as it is and all the roads are at a standstill.

“The area is just not suitable.”

In agreement was Michael Bristow, owner of Michael's Bridal Fabrics, who says he’s had the blight operating over his business for more than 12 years.

"All I hope will happen now is the new government, whoever it may be, will just rip up the Compulsory Purchase Order on the land which has been hanging over our heads,” he said.

“Whatever happens to that land and whoever buys it we could be forced out of our work places at very short notice.

“It's all been a disaster for everyone on this estate for so long now."

London Resort previously said it remained "100% committed” to delivering the project and would commit £150m on environmental improvements.

It said a decision to designate the site as an SSSI, as well as the classification of Tilbury as a Freeport had “impacted the project” and required it to withdraw.

London Resort Company Holdings and Aggregate Industries have been approached for comment.