Supported with briefing from Logistics UK and others, the Dartford MP and several other MPs highlighted to Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood the project’s importance.
Jim Dickson said it was vital transport infrastructure for supporting the trade of goods between Great Britain and mainland Europe.
Greenwood acknowledged the project's significance, affirming that the Department for Transport is carefully evaluating it. In addition, during Prime Minister’s Questions on 30 October, Dickson pressed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to consider the Lower Thames Crossing as a key investment to spur economic growth.
David Wells OBE, CEO Logistics UK commented: “It is good to see that the Transport Minister is continuing to evaluate the Lower Thames Crossing. Industry is united in its opinion that it needs to be built and the recent decision to delay the DCO was met with bitter disappointment and frustration by businesses up and down the country.
"The new crossing can pay for itself many times over, driving growth by generating billions for the UK economy and creating thousands of high-quality jobs, and should not be delayed further.
“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.
“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.
“40% 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.”
