THE LEADER of Thurrock Council has lambasted MP Jackie Doyle-Price over her latest comments on the Lower Thames Crossing.
Cllr John Kent has assured residents that he has "Not thrown in the towel"
Cllr Kent said: "I was very disappointed when I read our MP’s latest statement on the Lower Thames Crossing.
"Not only was she repeating things I have been saying for months and years, she appears to be suggesting there are proposals that are, somehow, new ideas and that we should all give up fighting against any new crossing in our borough.
Jackie Doyle – Price appeared to say four things;
First, a January announcement – we said that a month ago and, we know, it will be an announcement of a consultation on Option A or three versions of Option C, each of which we know about and each of which come through our borough.
That shouldn’t be a reason to stop campaigning against a further crossing – it should be a call to arms for each of us to get involved and say, loudly and clearly, None of the Above.
Second, she had “fought hard” but been defeated.
I am sorry Jackie, but I’m not a member of the government and nor are all but one of the residents of Thurrock. We haven’t given up yet.
Has she been tipped off, has the Chancellor given her a quiet steer – because, have no doubt, this will be a Treasury decision, not one based on transport needs.
Third, “a new crossing is coming and […] we need to make the best of it”.
"I do not accept it is a given a new crossing will be here, but I have been saying for months that we have to prepare for the worst. If, as Jackie suggests, the government does not listen to local people and decides to run roughshod over our views, we have to be ready.
Fourth is the talk of a tunnel. It was several years ago, when these plans were first being seriously discussed that I said the only option that might be acceptable was a tunnel – that would be a tunnel that stayed underground all the way through Thurrock. Another tunnel is not a new idea.
But even a tunnel wouldn’t allay all of our fears as there would still be congestion issues where it joined the M25 – at both ends.
You only need to look at how slow north-bound traffic is now, on a daily basis, to see what a further tunnel would be like, worse when there was an incident, and the pollution from vehicles would have to go somewhere, presumably out of vents into our lungs.
So, let me reiterate what I’ve been saying all along:
We don’t want or need another Thames crossing in Thurrock, not to the west of our borough or in the middle.
We are working hard on analysing what we know of the government’s rather wishy-washy proposals so we are prepared, in the very last resort, to fight for the least-worst option whatever that might be.
A tunnel may not be out of the question, if it doesn’t come up in Thurrock, but we’d need to be convinced that it will not add to congestion and that it would be safe to use.
Jackie Doyle – Price may be ready to throw the towel in but I am not, nor is the council – irrespective of party – and nor are the people of Thurrock.
And finally, when the government launch their latest consultation in the New Year we will not only be ready, we will be holding our own public meetings as well, so look out for them.
