Crossing revenue could fund ferry service, MP says

Labour MP Lauren Sullivan is calling for some of the Lower Thames Crossing toll to fund the re-instatement of the Gravesend-Tilbury ferry service

Some of the toll money from the Lower Thames Crossing could fund the re-instatement of the Gravesend-Tilbury ferry crossing, an MP has said.

Labour MP for Gravesham, Lauren Sullivan said reviving the ferry could help reconnect communities and ease traffic.

The service stopped in March last year when the operator Jetstream announced it would not renew its contract.

A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson said: "No decisions have been made on how the revenue from the Lower Thames Crossing will be spent."

The Lower Thames Crossing is a 14.5-mile route that links Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: "We want to make sure the Lower Thames Crossing benefits people in Gravesham.

"We want this project to work for the people who are hosting this infrastructure."

She said the government would "work through the details" with Sullivan, local councils and the community.

Sullivan argued a nationally significant infrastructure like the Lower Thames Crossing "must provide benefits to the local community".

She said: "Being able to cross the Thames is a hugely integral part of our local economy but this is held back because of the closure of the ferry."

When the ferry ceased operation, it had a "dramatic impact" on the local economy, she added.

Executive director for the Lower Thames Crossing, Matt Palmer, said in the last two months, they were carrying out utility surveys in north Kent before moving onto Essex.

When asked how the crossing's toll money would be used, including a possibility of funding the Gravesend-Tilbury ferry, he said they still "working on" plans on how the toll system would work.

Jan Sava, who owns dressmaking company Julis Creations, in Gravesend High Street said after the ferry stopped operating, the street had become "very quiet".

Jan Sava, who owns Gravesend dressmaking business Julis Creations, said the closure of the ferry had affected his business

"We had a lot of customers who travelled here using the ferry," the 44-year-old said.

"We were thinking about either closing or moving the shop.

"I would love the ferry to return as soon as possible for the community."

The DfT spokesperson said £590m has been pledged to "take forward" the Lower Thames Crossing.

They added: "This will help link up motorists and businesses in the Midlands and North with key ports in the South East, delivering growth as part of our Plan for Change."

The crossing, a 14.5-mile (23km) route, which will link Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend, will cost an estimated £10bn.

The plans were approved in March after a 16-year process that has already cost £1.2bn.