Representation by NHS Kent and Medway (NHS Kent and Medway)
- Date submitted
- 20 February 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
NHS Kent and Medway wishes to work with the Lower Thames Crossing team to minimise the identified impacts on the environment and human health created by the development of the new road including healthcare provision for the workforce, their families and the existing and emerging resident population NHS Kent and Medway wishes to ensure that the Lower Thames Crossing programme shall secure all the proposed environmental and human health impact mitigations as the submission proposes to ensure that existing and future residents living adjacent to the new route in Kent and its junctions with the A2 do not suffer adverse impacts from: • construction of the new road causing dust, noise, vibration and severance of local connections between communities and with recreational areas • the impact of a large construction workforce and their families on local health services on available capacity • the impact of construction related illnesses, both physical and mental, on health services across the home areas of the workforce, their families and the existing population within Kent • the impact of the new traffic flow on air quality, noise and vibration • the impact on air quality from the new traffic flow especially during periods of congestion on the new road or on existing roads due to the opening of the road on both road users and residents. Furthermore, NHS Kent and Medway seeks to ensure that the mitigations put in place by the Lower Thames Crossing programme are funded by the programme into the future and properly maintained for a period of at least 50 years or until the issues cease to require mitigation. The programme has identified issues that have not been fully mitigated and represent an ongoing health impact on residents of Kent and Medway. Therefore, NHS Kent and Medway seeks an ongoing contribution to funding health services to respond to the impact of these unmitigated impacts for a period of 50 years or until the issues are fully mitigated.