Government supports Lower Thames Crossing

A decision on the Lower Thames Crossing DCO has been extended three times

Campaigners in Kent have given a mixed reaction to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' signal of support for the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing.

Ms Reeves said on Wednesday that Labour is "exploring options" to work with the private sector to "deliver the infrastructure that our country desperately needs" - including the Lower Thames Crossing.

The project, which would link Gravesend in Kent and Tilbury in Essex via a tunnel beneath the river, has been proposed to relieve congestion caused by the Dartford Crossing.

Welcoming the announcement, Dartford MP Jim Dickson said: "Labour is delivering for the people of Dartford. There is an end in sight to gridlock."

The tunnel runs east of Gravesend in Kent and east of Tilbury in Essex, with connecting roads to the M25, M2 and A2

However some campaigners said the crossing would destroy greenbelt land and precious habitats.

Alongside alleviating congestion at the Dartford Crossing, the chancellor said the Lower Thames Crossing will "improve connectivity at Dover, Felixstowe and Harwich".

Ms Reeves' announcement comes just three months after the government said it was delaying the decision on whether to proceed with the project until May 2025.

A group of 80 businesses have previously called on the government to approve the project.

Kent Wildlife Trust's planning and policy officer, Emma Waller said: "The Lower Thames Crossing is not a sustainable solution; it is merely a short-term fix that exacerbates a deeper, systemic problem."

The Thames Crossing Action Group said Ms Reeves' announcement does not constitute a green light for the project.

"She said they were 'exploring' private finance. Funding has not been secured for LTC [Lower Thames Crossing], and the DCO [Development Consent Order] has not been approved," the group wrote on X.

The extended deadline of 23 May remains for a decision to be made on the DCO application.