British business unites in call for Lower Thames Crossing consent

Thursday 12 September 2024

Businesses from across the UK have made a united call for the government to approve the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Lower Thames Crossing which has been at the planning stage for over a decade. 73 organisations nationwide have sent a letter to Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh outlining why the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project must go ahead.

The deadline for the decision on the Lower Thames Crossing DCO application is 4 October 2024. Representatives from organisations, including Asda; Landsec, the majority owner of Bluewater; British Chambers of Commerce and Port of Dover have signed a letter co-ordinated by business group Logistics UK which will be delivered to the Department for Transport, outlining the strategic importance of the new crossing and why the DCO needs to be granted.

The Short Straits crossings between England and France handle over half of all goods traded between Great Britain and mainland Europe and the proposed new road tunnel across the river Thames between Essex and Kent will link the north and Midlands with the south-east ports. It is expected that the nationally significant infrastructure will provide a boost of up to £40 billion to the UK economy and create high-quality jobs and home-grown skills, particularly for those in Kent and Essex.

The ambition of the project is to create a more resilient road network and maintain connectivity across the Thames when incidents disrupt the Dartford Crossing, which is currently the only road crossing east of London. The Dartford Crossing was designed to handle 135,000 vehicles a day but regularly exceeds 180,000 and congestion at the crossing costs 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 Lower Thames Crossing would remove the financial burden of delays and congestion that is currently shouldered by businesses and consumers across the UK.

ASDA Chris Hall Vice President Asda Logistics Services said:

“Once operational, the Lower Thames Crossing will double road capacity across the Thames east of London and help ease the chronic traffic congestion that occurs on the Dartford Crossing, which will drastically improve journeys for our HGV and delivery drivers in the area. 

“Beyond our local stores, the Lower Thames Crossing will help improve Asda's overall operational efficiency by giving us another route through Kent and Essex, and it will allow us to better utilise our double-decker HGV fleet, helping us reduce our transport emissions.”

Bluewater Centre Director James Waugh said:

“As a long-term investor in Kent and Essex, we know the Lower Thames Crossing would bring a significant boost to growth across our region, by making it easier and more energy efficient to travel between both counties. As well as communities and business across the region, Bluewater would see new opportunities created through a new route for customers and the relief of congestion, meaning a better experience for our guests.”

Logistics UK Chief Executive David Wells OBE said:

“The Lower Thames Crossing needs to be an integral part of the new government's industrial strategy and the logistics sector is ready to play its part in kickstarting growth and get the country building. The diversity of the organisations that have signed the letter highlight the national importance of the UK having high quality transport infrastructure, to move goods in the most productive, strategic and green way.”

Port of Dover Chief Executive Doug Bannister said:

“The Port of Dover is a critical freight and transport corridor, key to the UK supply chain. The Lower Thames Crossing is a vital piece of this jigsaw as half of the freight vehicles travelling through the Port are going beyond London to support economic activity in the Midlands and the North of the UK. Accompanied by essential supporting upgrades, such as the A2 Lydden-Dover dualling, Brenley Corner upgrades and other elements outlined in the Dover Access Improvements scheme, the Lower Thames Crossing will create a more resilient network providing the capacity needed to support the £144 billion in trade that travels through the Port of Dover each year.”

The complete list of signatories of the letter from industry sent to The Rt Hon Louise Haigh MP Secretary of State for Transport: