By Local Democracy Reporter: Christine Sexton
CAMPAIGNERS are hoping the £8.2billion Lower Thames Crossing could be thrown out as a high court hearing into the government’s road investment strategy takes place.
The hearing, today and tomorrow, will see campaigners from Transport Action Network accuse Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, of breaking the law when approving the strategy by failing to consider its effects on the environment.
Published in March 2020, the strategy sets out plans for England’s strategic road network, including 50 major road schemes, of which the proposed Lower Thames Crossing is the largest.
Although the network, made up of motorways and major A roads, is responsible for more than 10 per cent of the UK’s domestic CO2 emissions, ministers quietly abandoned setting a target to reduce this.
Government lawyers are now seeking to persuade the court that climate commitments were not “obviously material” to road-building.
This is despite Mr Shapps acknowledging two weeks after rubber stamping strategy that “climate change is the most pressing environmental challenge of our time” and that this meant we need to “use our cars less in future”.
Laura Blake, chair of Thames Crossing Action Group said: “We know that the proposed Lower Thames Crossing would create more than five million tonnes of carbon emissions, along with all the other negative impacts which we would suffer if the crossing were to go ahead.
“We have many serious concerns about the impacts of the proposed Lower Thames Crossing, and feel it is essential that all the negative impacts of the scheme should be taken into account.
“We are grateful to Transport Action Network for bringing this legal challenge on climate grounds against the Government’s £27bn road building programme, which of course includes the £8.2bn Lower Thames Crossing.”
Chris Todd, Director of Transport Action Network said: “Trying to argue climate change isn’t “obviously material” to approving the largest ever roads programme is like saying public health is not relevant to reform of smoking rules. In an audacious attempt to protect his addiction to asphalt, Shapps is now seeking a legal precedent that decision-makers can ignore climate targets.
“This puts ministers on a collision course with the Climate Change Committee, which last week called on the Government to adopt a “net zero test” for all policy decisions. The Department for Transport’s dodgy defence now risks undermining UK leadership of the COP26 climate summit and our international standing.”
Anyone who wishes to add their support to the legal challenge can donate via www.crowdjustice.com/case/stop-largest-ever-roads-programme/
