Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood MP has announced that he has lifted the safeguarding direction for the Thames Gateway Bridge. This reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring our transport and infrastructure supports housing delivery and drives growth as part of the Plan for Change and means that the land can now be developed.

Mr Lightwood (pictured, left) described the safeguarding direction in relation to the axed Thames Gateway Bridge scheme in east London as an “obstacle to much-needed development”. The bridge would have connected the Boroughs of Newham to Greenwich, but was axed by then-London mayor Boris Johnson in 2008, insisting that the capital should focus on “projects that deliver real benefits for Londoners”.

“Safeguarding is an important planning tool used to protect land for future transport schemes from conflicting development,” said the minister in a written statement to parliament. “In this case, the safeguarding direction for the Thames Gateway Bridge dates back to 1940, when the area’s transport needs were very different. It was intended to protect land for a road crossing that has not been delivered. Since then, London’s transport priorities have evolved, and over the decades, we have seen major investments in London’s river crossings – most notably the Dartford Crossing and, recently, the Silvertown Tunnel. The safeguarding directions therefore no longer align with the direction of transport policy or the evolving needs of this part of London.

“The continued safeguarding of this land has been an obstacle to much-needed development, and I am therefore lifting these directions. The government is keen to deliver new homes and unlock economic opportunity, and we are taking steps to remove unnecessary barriers to progress.”

(Pic: Highways News)