Lower Thames Crossing decision delayed until next year as Labour leaves drivers with anxious wait
The Lower Thames Crossing would connect to the A2 and M2 in Kent
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
Labour has delayed the decision on whether to proceed with a new £9billion road crossing between Kent and Essex until May next year, despite strong criticism from pressure groups.
The project is designed to reduce congestion on the Dartford Crossing with a motorway-style road and would connect the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex.
The Crossing would become the UK's longest road tunnel with a 2.6-mile tunnel under the Thames and has been described as National Highways' "most ambitious scheme in 35 years".
The project has been in development for 15 years, with £850million being spent on planning, as £8.3billion is expected to be spent constructing the 14-mile road.
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A view of the River Thames and surrounding land from Chalk, at the proposed Lower Thames Crossing between Kent and Sussex
PA
National Highways have backed the scheme, saying it would add £40billion to the UK economy by making journeys "quicker, safer and more reliable".
In a written statement to Parliament, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said that it was "necessary" to extend the deadline for a decision until May 23, 2025.
This is being done to allow more time for the application to be considered further, including any decisions made as part of the upcoming spending review.
Haigh added: "The decision to set a new deadline is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant the application development consent."
However, it has been met with severe backlash from locals who claim the development of the Lower Thames Crossing would create more issues than it would solve.
A number of environmental and conservation organisations have raised concerns about the impact of the Lower Thames Crossing, including the Kent Wildlife Trust.
Emma Waller, planning and policy officer at the Trust, said: "The project will result in the loss of ancient woodland and veteran trees including Sites of Special Scientific Interest, such as Shorne and Ashenbank Woods SSSI.
"The project itself can best be described as putting a sticky plaster on the problems currently experienced on the road network.
"The staggering cost of the Lower Thames Crossing could have been better spent actively investigating and implementing a green travel strategy, putting infrastructure in place that enhances the environment, and our wellbeing and provides a long-term solution to the challenges we face."
Labour has already made several crucial road development decisions, including the scrapping of the A27 bypass, which it described as "poor value for money".
It said that the money, estimated to be around £320million, would instead be used to deal with the scourge of potholes around the UK, with plans to fill in one million extra potholes every year.
The announcement comes after a decision was delayed last week after a spokesperson for the Department for Transport said an update on the application would be provided "in due course".
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It is hoped the Lower Thames Crossing will take pressure off the Dartford Crossing
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
The Government was believed to have been waiting for Parliament to be updated after it returned from its recess, PA reported.
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