It has been two years since Highways England (as it was then, before the rebrand) withdrew its initial development consent order (DCO) application to the Planning Inspectorate for the Lower Thames Crossing.
The statutory consultation for the project took place back in 2018, with additional consultations since. In October 2020 an S46 notice of pre-application was lodged but the Planning Inspectorate indicated that the application lacked necessary details and so it was withdrawn.
Highways England was expected to take no more than four months to compete the paperwork adequately. It has taken two years.
The Planning Inspectorate has confirmed that it finally received an application for the Lower Thames Crossing on 31st October 2022.
The project involves the construction of a twin bored tunnel under the River Thames to the east of Tilbury and Gravesend, plus 14.3 miles of new roads to link it to the M25 and A13 (to the north of the river) and the M2/A2 (to the south). At a length of 4.3km it will be the longest UK road tunnel and with a diameter of more than 16 metres, the widest tunnel in Europe.
The estimated capital cost for the project, including allowances for risk and inflation, is in the range of £5.2bn to £9.0bn.
Three bidders are shortlisted to build the tunnels. They are:
- BFV Joint Venture – Bam Nuttall, Ferrovial and Vinci, supported by Atkins, Tecnica y Proyectos (TYPSA) and Stantec
- Bouygues Murphy Joint Venture (BMJV), supported by Mott McDonald and Ove Arup & Partners
- Dragados-Hochtief Joint Venture (DH JV).
Shortlisted bidders for the road building packages are:
Kent roads:
- BFV JV
- Costain
- Kier Eiffage JV
- Skanska Construction UK
Essex roads
- Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering
- Kier Eiffage JV.
Now that the planning application has been submitted, local authorities in the area have 14 days to submit what is known as adequacy of consultation representations to the Planning Inspectorate. The Planning Inspectorate will then take a further 14 days before announcing by 28th November whether it deems the latest application acceptable to proceed to the examination stage of the process.
Matt Palmer, National Highways’ director for the Lower Thames Crossing, said: "We’ve carried out a huge programme of engagement and consultation with our stakeholders and communities to improve the design of the Lower Thames Crossing and reduce our impact on our neighbours and the environment. We're grateful to our stakeholders and local communities for taking the time to give us feedback and help us shape our route and how we will build it."
However, opposition remains, including from the Thames Crossing Action Group. Laura Blake, the group’s chair, said: “We know that failure to deliver the LTC project is an existential threat to National Highways, their own report stated as much. We can only assume that is why they have pushed ahead with resubmitting the DCO application despite a lack of adequate consultation, and evidence that the project would not deliver the scheme objectives.
“This is a hugely destructive and harmful project, that would not solve the problems at the Dartford Crossing, is not fit for purpose, and now estimated to cost in the region of at least £10bn would be a complete waste of taxpayers’ money. Our local authorities, MPs and many major organisations and groups have concerns just like us. The fact National Highways have pushed ahead with the resubmission wreaks of desperation for a project that is hanging by a thread and should be put out of its misery. We need and deserve better."
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