THE owner of a property earmarked for compulsory purchase to make way for the £10 billion Lower Thames Crossing has applied for permission to build two homes on the site in a bid to establish its value reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
Gammon Staples Farmhouse in Orsett sits on land required for the major infrastructure project, which will link Kent and Essex via two 2.5-mile tunnels under the Thames. The scheme, granted development consent in June 2024, includes a northern link road that will run directly across the site.
To determine compensation, the owner has submitted an application to Thurrock Council for a Certificate of Appropriate Alternative Development (CAAD). This identifies what development would likely have been approved if the Lower Thames Crossing did not exist, helping calculate the land’s market value in a “no scheme world.”
The supporting statement argues that the one-acre site on Baker Street, meets the National Planning Policy Framework’s definition of “Grey Belt.” It claims the land makes only a negligible contribution to green belt purposes and is free from environmental or heritage constraints.
The proposal cites Thurrock’s chronic housing shortage as justification, noting the borough has one of the worst housing land supply positions in the country. Thurrock has failed to meet its housing targets in 19 of the past 22 years, delivering just 55 per cent of identified need between 2001 and 2021. The shortfall now stands at nearly 9,744 homes, with almost 5,000 households on the housing register and average waiting times of four years.
The application states: “In the absence of the Lower Thames Crossing, the evidence supports the grant of a CAAD for two dwellings at Gammon Staples Farmhouse.”
If approved, the certificate could increase the compensation payable when National Highways acquires the land under compulsory purchase powers.
The Lower Thames Crossing is the UK’s largest road project and aims to ease congestion at the Dartford Crossing. Construction is expected to take several years once land acquisition is complete.
