Logistics UK has added its voice to a growing list of concerned industry stakeholders condemning the government’s move to further delay a decision on whether to greenlight the Lower Thames crossing.
The delay was revealed yesterday (7 October) by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, who said in a written statement that the extension will run until 23 May 2025. She added the delay is “necessary” for further consideration of the application, including outcomes from the spending review.
The previous government was set to decide on the future of the Lower Thames Crossing in June this year but the decision was pushed back until 4 October, as a result of the general election. This latest delay pushes the decision back by another eight months.
The project is designed to ease congestion at the Dartford Crossing. It involves building a new motorway-style road linking the A2 and M2 in Kent with the A13 and M25 in Essex and a 2.6-mile tunnel beneath the Thames, which would become the UK’s longest road tunnel.
David Wells, Logistics UK chief executive, said further delay to the project was “deeply concerning” adding that it contradicts what the new government has said about getting Britain building again.
He said: “Industry is united in its opinion that the Lower Thames Crossing needs to be built so the decision to delay the DCO will be met with bitter disappointment and frustration by businesses up and down the country.
Logistics UK argues that the crossing would pay for itself “many times over” by driving growth and creating jobs.
Wells said: “While geographically in Kent and Essex, the proposed crossing is nationally significant and is vital for improving connections between the North, the Midlands and the Channel ports, where the Short Straits crossings between England and France handle over half of all goods traded between Great Britain and mainland Europe.
“The scheme has already been stuck in the planning stages for over a decade and this further delay will see businesses and consumers continuing to shoulder the financial burden that congestion at the Dartford Crossing costs the UK economy every year in lost productivity.”
He added: “The Dartford Crossing is currently the only Thames crossing east of London and delaying the decision will prolong the daily congestion which makes it one of the most unreliable routes in the UK.
“Two thirds of journeys travelling north at the Dartford Crossing take twice as long as they should, and the delays cost the UK economy more than £200 million every year in lost productivity.”
Wells pointed to the impact on the freight industry of the current congestion in the area.
He said: “Forty percent of journeys across the Dartford Crossing are freight vehicles carrying vital goods throughout the country and the government needs to grant the DCO as soon as possible to unlock UK logistics, drive growth and help keep supply chains moving across the whole country.”
