THE Government has announced its support for a Lower Thames Crossing funded by private investment reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ announcement comes just three months after the Government said it was delaying the decision on whether to proceed with the £9 billion project to build a new road crossing between Essex and Kent until May 2025.
In a written statement to Parliament, then-transport secretary Louise Haigh said in October that it was “necessary” to extend the deadline for a decision on the Lower Thames Crossing application to May 23.
However, the Chancellor reiterated her support for the project in a major speech on delivering growth for the country. This included support for a third runway at Heathrow alongside a new ‘Silicon Valley‘ between Oxford and Cambridge.
On Wednesday (January 29), she said: “We will work with the private sector to deliver the infrastructure that our country desperately needs.
“This includes the Lower Thames Crossing, which will improve connectivity at Dover, Felixstowe and Harwich – alleviating severe congestion as goods destined to export come from the North and the Midlands and across the country to markets overseas.
“To drive growth and deliver value for money for taxpayers we are exploring options to privately finance this important project.
“And we have changed course on public investment too with a new investment rule to ensure that we don’t just count the costs of investment, we count the benefits too.”
The initial deadline for deciding whether to grant a development consent order enabling National Highways to build the 14.3-mile road was June 20, but it was delayed until October 4 because of the general election.
Work on the project has been ongoing since 2009, and more than £800 million of taxpayers’ money has been spent on planning.
The Lower Thames Crossing proposal involves a new motorway-style road that would reduce congestion on the Dartford Crossing. The road would connect the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex via a 2.6-mile tunnel under the Thames, which would be the UK’s longest road tunnel.
National Highways aimed to start construction in 2026, with the road opening in 2032.
Thurrock Council in Essex has consistently opposed the project, citing negative economic, social and environmental impacts, but the leader of Kent’s Dartford Borough Council is in favour of the scheme. Local campaigners Thames Crossing Action Group claim the crossing would be “hugely destructive and harmful” and a waste of money.
I have said all along that this would be built with Chinese or Middle Eastern money. In return will have the right to charge toll money (with that of Dartford Crossing too) for 25 plus years. Just wait and see the toll fees then.
Remember the bridge financing deal with Trafalgar House???? They done very nicely out of that thank you.
The Lower Thames Crossing is essential for all motor drivers as any small incident along the M25 or M20 and A2 accessing the Dartford Crossing delays traffic for hours at a time These delays frequently stop access the Darenth Valley Hospital Dartford it’s self is frequently jammed to a deadlock The LTC would enable all traffic going north and to the Essex ports to by pass the congestion through the Dartford tunnels thus allowing free flow of traffic