A six-month inquiry into the Lower Thames Crossing between Essex and Kent is getting underway.
The Planning Inspectorate is reviewing the plans after a coalition of conservation groups called the scheme “damaging”. The scheme had previously been approved by the government, but it announced a two-year delay to the project in March.
The BBC reports that this inquiry begins with the first of three “open floor” hearings with interested local parties giving oral statements via an online hook-up, as part of the review.
The Planning Inspectorate will then produce a report on the £9bn plan that would see a new 14 mile road, of which 2.6 miles would be underground. Work should begin in 2026.
(Picture – National Highways)
