East London/Thames Gateway Road-based River Crossings

Between June 2005 and May 2006, I was involved in the public inquiry into Transport for London's proposals for a Thames Gateway Bridge (TGB). Some 20 years ago, I was involved in an even longer public inquiry into the then Department of Transport's (TfL) proposals for an East London River Crossing (ELRC). The previous proposal was eventually sunk in the 1990s, on grounds of costs and adverse environmental impact, much to the frustration of some of its supporters. There was thus a "campaign" to revive proposals for a road-based river crossing on the ELRC alignment, but without a link to the A2. This link would have required the demolition of hundreds of homes and many businesses, as well as the destruction of large areas of open space and nature conservation, including Woodlands Farm (later purchased with the support of people and groups opposed to the ELRC, and funds from the Heritage Lottery), and the famous Oxleas Wood. By removing the link, supporters of what has become the Thames Gateway Bridge hoped to remove opposition to a road-based river crossing. The problem is that the TGB proposal would generate alot of traffic south of the river : one reason for the previous link road.
Thus the TGB Public Inquiry was not the 4-6 week hearing forecast by TfL, but an inquiry of nearly a year's duration, in which TfL's case was also pretty much sunk (see Persona Associates very good inquiry website at : www.persona.uk.com/www.personaassociates.co.uk)

However, reading the East London Sub-Regional Development Framework (extract below), published in May 2006, one might conclude by the passing reference to a "public inquiry, which ended in Spring 2006 " that this had been a mere formality and will have little or no influence on the decision (now ultimately resting with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, once she has received the Planning Inspectors report) to proceed with the TGB. Indeed the assumption in the paragraph which follows is that the TGB "will" be built :

"In response to the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and London Plan policies, TfL has developed a multi-modal package of river crossings to improve local accessibility and assist regeneration. In addition to the wholly public transport schemes providing cross river capacity, notably Crossrail and the DLR extension to Woolwich, road based crossings should be taken forward. Of these road based links, the Thames Gateway Bridge is the first priority, and has been considered at a public inquiry, which ended in Spring 2006. It will provide a key link between employment and residential areas north and south of the river; improving sub-regional and local movements by road and public transport and stimulating regeneration without encouraging long distance commuting by car. Traffic demand on the Thames Gateway Bridge will be managed through flexible tolls and allocation of road space to an attractive level of public transport service via Thames Gateway Transit (see para 226 below) and regular bus services. Longer distance traffic will pay a higher toll than local traffic, to support the role of the Thames Gateway Bridge as primarily a local crossing, assisting regeneration. Plans for the Silvertown Crossing will be developed at a later stage."

To be continued...