Representation by Metrotidal Limited (Metrotidal Limited)
- Date submitted
- 23 February 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Post-Brexit, Post-Covid there is less demand for the road-only Lower Thames Crossing Midland-Dover HGV hypotenuse as freight can and will be diverted from Dover by the climate change, carbon-pricing, UK freeport and levelling-up agendas. Instead of an expensive upgrade to the M11-M25-M2 hypotenuse of which the LTC Option C forms only a part, much greater and more robust green economic growth is achieved for much less investment by providing a spread of new connectivity across the Thames Estuary so that East London will enjoy the same agglomeration benefits as West London. The Gallions Reach and/or Belvedere road bridge to the west with the twin-track Metrotidal Thames Orbital to the east of Dartford provides the spread of robust connectivity for the whole Thames Estuary region to the east of London and beyond. The case was outlined by "A plan of the Thames Estuary" Planning-in-London Issue 117 April-June 2021 since when the economic case for this alternative to the expensive, road-only LTC Option C has continued to strengthen with the success of Crossrail and the higher, working from home, week-day population spread across the Thames Estuary region.