Delaying Decision on Lower Thames Crossing is "Deeply Concerning", says Logistics UK

Following the announcement by Rt Hon Louise Haigh MP, Secretary of State for Transport to delay the decision on the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Lower Thames Crossing, Logistics UK Chief Executive David Wells OBE said,

"The postponement of the decision on the Lower Thames Crossing's Development Consent Order (DCO) is deeply concerning and runs counter to what the new government has said about getting Britain building again. 

"Industry is united in its opinion that the Lower Thames Crossing needs to be built so the decision to delay the DCO will be met with bitter disappointment and frustration by businesses up and down the country. The new crossing can pay for itself many times over, driving growth by generating billions for the UK economy and creating thousands of high-quality jobs, and should not be delayed further.

"While geographically in Kent and Essex, the proposed crossing is nationally significant and is vital for improving connections between the North, the Midlands and the Channel ports, where the Short Straits crossings between England and France handle over half of all goods traded between Great Britain and mainland Europe.

"The scheme has already been stuck in the planning stages for over a decade and this further delay will see businesses and consumers continuing to shoulder the financial burden that congestion at the Dartford Crossing costs the UK economy every year in lost productivity.

"The Dartford Crossing is currently the only Thames crossing east of London and delaying the decision will prolong the daily congestion which makes it one of the most unreliable routes in the UK. Two thirds of journeys travelling north at the Dartford Crossing take twice as long as they should, and the delays cost 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 government needs to grant the DCO as soon as possible to unlock UK logistics, drive growth and help keep supply chains moving across the whole country."

Logistics UK is one of the UK's leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With decarbonisation, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods. For more information about the organisation and its work, please visit logistics.org.uk