Delayed again… the decision on Lower Thames Crossing

Postponement will ‘allow more time for the application to be considered further’

After Friday’s anticipation of a long-awaited announcement on the proposed Lower Thames Crossing, yesterday’s news that we wouldn’t in fact hear the verdict until Friday, May 23, 2025, caught just about everyone by surprise.
On Friday – the statutory deadline for the announcement – a Department for Transport statement informed us merely that an update would be given “in due course”. That was dismaying enough for many supporters and opponents alike, but yesterday’s (Monday, October 7) statement took frustration to a new level for those who simply wanted a decision.
The DfT and transport secretary Louise Haigh revealed the decision on the Development Consent Order would be extended further still to May next year “to allow more time for the application to be considered further, including any decisions made as part of the spending review”.
CPRE Kent has made substantial representation to the planning process and maintains its view that the adverse environmental and financial impacts of the proposed scheme outweigh any purported benefits.

• To learn more about the Lower Thames Crossing, click here