00:00The government have broken their statutory obligation to make a decision on the Lower
00:04Thames crossing this afternoon. It's taken 15 years and £850m spent on planning. However,
00:10it's understood the government recess, caused by a party conference,
00:13meant the project was again delayed from a concrete yes or no.
00:18Well, we've heard today that there's going to be a short delay. I think it's very short and
00:22the decision is imminent. So all of the conversations we've been having in the last
00:27few weeks about how important the new Lower Thames crossing is, both for Dartford to deal
00:33with the congestion and gridlock, but also for the UK and Kent economy to have goods
00:38flowing freely across the Thames and towards Dover. All those arguments are absolutely still
00:44valid and we're looking for a decision very soon from the government.
00:48The tunnel would run between Kent's Gravesend and Essex's Tilbury below the River Thames.
00:53But the project has drawn criticism for the construction of a 14-mile road
00:58directly through a green belt. It was originally proposed in 2009 to help with the pressure put
01:03on the Dartford crossing, with National Highways suggesting a potential 20% reduction in traffic
01:09at the crossing if the Lower Thames project does open.
01:12If the plans are given the green light, construction is likely to begin in 2026,
01:16with the tunnel opening in 2032. Some officials, however, disagree with the plans.
01:22It's no real surprise that it has been delayed, unfortunately.
01:25One of our main concerns is around the loss of ancient woodland,
01:31which is woodland that has existed since the 1600s, making it an irreplaceable habitat as it
01:38takes hundreds of years to establish. Many of the woodlands threatened by the
01:43Lower Thames crossing scheme are also sites of special scientific interest,
01:49such as Shornan Ash and Bankwoods, and these habitats are home to numerous rare wildlife.
01:55Well, with the decision expected any time today, if it does go ahead,
01:58it will have a massive impact on Gravesend,
02:00Dartford and Kent's transport links to Essex and the rest of the country.
02:04Finn McDermid for KMTV
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