Lower Thames crossing announcement, 15 July 2014

The Secretary of State for Transport has today announced the governments’ response to consultation on options for a new Lower Thames Crossing.

The response sets out the decisions government has reached taking into account the numerous and diverse points raised during consultation. Namely, it

·         confirms there is a need for a new crossing,

·        advises that, as there is as yet no clear preference, government will develop and appraise route options for both location options A and C before choosing where to site a new crossing. (Option A is at the existing crossing and Option C is a new link connecting the A2/M2 with the A13 and M25), and

·        advises that government expects to consult on a proposed solution in late 2015 or early 2016.

For further details please access the government website at www.gov.uk/government/collections/lower-thames-crossing for

• a short public information video
• Written Ministerial Statement

·         Press notice

• Response to Consultation document
• 5 technical notes

Department for Transport, London SW1P 4DR

SPECIAL BULLETIN: Claire Tiltman Investigation

Gareth Johnson 

MP for Dartford

SPECIAL BULLETIN:

This Special Bulletin is to update you on some important developments today:

Claire Tiltman Investigation

You may have seen reports in the news that Kent Police have searched an address of a property near Dartford in relation to their on-going investigation into the murder of Claire Tiltman. Claire was murdered in 1993 in Greenhithe and her killer has never been brought to justice. You may recall that in January the friends of Claire Tiltman organised a walk to mark the twentieth anniversary of her death and in March this year I met with the Home Secretary, the Chief Constable and the officer leading the investigation into her murder. With the news today that an address near Dartford has been searched, it is clear that the effort to secure justice for Claire continues. I am reassured that Kent Police are working diligently, leaving no stone unturned to bring Claire's killer to justice. This is very much an active investigation and this development should be welcomed.

Changes to the Dartford Crossing Local Resident Discount Scheme

The Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, announced today, that in response to a campaign from myself and the MP for Thurrock, an extension to the existing local residents' scheme will come into force from March 2014. A copy of the letter from the Department for Transport can be found at the bottom of this bulletin. The existing residents' scheme allows Dartford residents to pay £10 for 50 free crossing trips and then an additional fee of 20p for further trips. It has been announced today that from March 2014 Dartford residents will have the option of paying a £20 fee to give them unlimited trips over the crossing. This scheme will also be extended to all local owners of privately registered vans. I very much welcome the announcement today regarding these changes to the residents' scheme. It will help both local residents and local businesses who, for the first time, will receive a discount on using the crossing. I still maintain that the tolls should be removed in their entirety but this change will significantly help. Since becoming MP for Dartford I have continually lobbied the Department for Transport over the Dartford Crossing. As of Autumn 2014 the existing toll booths will be replaced with a free-flow system, meaning that the congestion and pollution caused by the booths will be removed. In the debate today, I also raised the subject of the serious police incident last Friday which caused hours of delays following the closure of the crossing and I told the Minister that "the residents of Dartford are sick to the back teeth with the problems emanating from the Dartford Crossing". The response from the Roads Minister was that an in-depth report into this incident would be prepared with a view to mitigating the risk of such problems in the future.

 

Dartford Crossing

Public meeting on Lower Thames Crossing

Dartford Borough Council will be hosting a public meeting regarding the options for the location of a new Lower Thames Crossing on Wednesday 10 July 2013.

The meeting will include a presentation from the Department for Transport on the possible options and contributions from other interested parties including Dartford Borough Council Leader Jeremy Kite explaining the Council’s view that Dartford should not be home to a new crossing. There will then be plenty of time for questions and answers from local residents and businesses and an opportunity to get your voice heard.

Councillor Kite said, “The Dartford Crossing is a hugely controversial issue and this consultation is a fantastic opportunity to let the government know how strongly we feel. This meeting gives Dartford residents the chance to find out as much as they can and reply to the consultation before the closing date.”

The meeting will take place on Wednesday 10 July at 7pm in the Ballroom, Acacia Hall, Dartford DA1 1DJ. Doors open at 6.30pm and places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

We are grateful to KCC for their support.

Full information and the consultation documents are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/options-for-a-new-lower-thames-crossing 

© Dartford Borough Council 2013