Archived press release

Inspector recommends rejection of Thames Gateway Bridge - but Government re-opens inquiry

26 July 2007

The Government should have followed the Inspector's recommendation and rejected plans to build a new six lane road bridge across the Thames in London, Friends of the Earth and Transport 2000 said today. The Government announced today that the Public Inquiry into the Thames Gateway bridge should be re-opened.

In a letter today [1], the Government says that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Hazel Blears considers that:

"she is not yet in a position to determine the application. She considers that it is necessary to reopen the inquiry in order to ensure the full and proper consideration of the submissions put forward after the close of the Inquiry, and other information she considers is necessary in order to determine the proposal."

Among the matters that the Secretary of State particularly wishes to be informed of are:

• A revised traffic model setting out the traffic implications of the scheme;
• The impacts of the revised traffic model on the proposed regeneration benefits;
• An assessment of changes in environmental policies and plans, including policies on climate change and air pollution.

Friends of the Earth and Transport 2000 oppose the Thames Gateway bridge - a new six-lane road across the Thames between east and south east London - because it would lead to more traffic, more pollution and a rise in carbon dioxide emissions. The organisations also argue that regeneration claims for the local area are flawed and uncertain [2].

Friends of the Earth London's Campaigns Co-ordinator Jenny Bates said:

"We're extremely disappointed that the Government did not follow the Inspector's advice and reject this damaging road bridge. The Thames Gateway bridge would bring few benefits to the local people and lead to more traffic, more noise and air pollution and an increase in climate-changing emissions. We hope that the re-opened inquiry will lead to the bridge being abandoned for once and for all. Better ways must found to regenerate the local area and build a sustainable Thames Gateway."

The Thames Gateway bridge would:

• Increase carbon dioxide emissions, making it harder to meet the Mayor of London's 60 per cent target by 2025;
• Add to breaches in EU air quality limits, and damage the health of local people;
• Mean that fewer people will walk, cycle and take public transport.

[1] The Communities and Local Government Department link to Decision on applications by Transport for London for proposed Thames Gateway bridge and Inspector's Report - www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1512063

[2] Friends of the Earth and Transport 2000 have produced a media briefing (PDF† ) which gives more information on the history of the scheme, the recent Public Inquiry into the scheme (which lasted nearly a year) and reasons why the scheme should not be built.

†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust