Council and democracy

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chambers, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Essex, RM17 6SL

Contact: Lucy Tricker, Democratic Services Officer  Email: direct.democracy@thurrock.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

46.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from the Thames Crossing Actiong Group Representative; the Thurrock Business Board Representative; and the Thurrock Business Representative.

47.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 250 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Lower Thames Crossing Task Force meeting held on 10 February 2020.

Minutes:

The Democratic Services Officer, on behalf of the Thames Crossing Action Group (TCAG) Representative highlighted page 13 of the minutes, and stated that the capacity of the Dartford Crossing was 135,000, rather than 125,000 as written.

With this amendment, the minutes from 10 February 2020 were approved as a true and correct record.

48.

Items of Urgent Business

To receive additional items that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

49.

Declaration of Interests

Minutes:

There were no interests declared.

50.

LTC Supplementary Consultation Response pdf icon PDF 272 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Assistant Director LTC introduced the report and stated that the supplementary consultation response was provided for Members to agree, and was to respond to the latest Highways England (HE) consultation, which was running between 29 January 2020 and 25 March 2020. She commented that this was a targeted consultation on specific design changes, based on the 2018 statutory consultation feedback. She outlined the major changes in the route for Thurrock which were:

 

·         Removal of the Rest and Service Area (RaSA);

·         Removal of the proposed Tilbury junction;

·         Relocating the route approximately 60m north and closer to Linford;

·         Changes to junctions between the LTC and the A13, A1089 and A1013;

·         Reinstating Rectory Road, so the road did not cut through the Orsett Showground;

·         Removal of one lane southbound between the M25 and A13 junction, which was due to traffic modelling predicting that there would be no need for an additional lane;

·         Increasing the length of the Mardyke Viaduct by 50m and changing the alignment.

 

The Assistant Director LTC stated that officers had been working hard with consultants on the response, which totalled 466 pages, but highlighted that a non-technical summary had also been provided. She commented that the response was very detailed, but that the main themes regarded the impacts to the environment; health; and the community. She added that the response also looked at the impact of construction of the route, traffic modelling, the route design, and land sterilisation. She clarified that one of the main changes in the new consultation was related to utilities diversions, particularly around the A13 junction. The Assistant Director LTC added that the proposed route did not have regard for Thurrock’s regeneration plans, as well as the development of the Local Plan, but an economic report had been commissioned and circulated to Members, as well as being included in the consultation response, as it quantified the impact of the route. She stated that the report sought delegated authority to make necessary changes in the consultation response until submission, and also considered the Council’s response as a landowner, as a report would be produced that outlined the landowner impact on a plot by plot basis. She mentioned that the Council rejected any compulsory purchase of Council land by HE, and the Council’s position remained the same as in December 2018, and were rejecting the route on an in-principle basis due to the harm it would cause the borough.

The Chair opened the debate and asked how HE had the authority to dig in areas of the borough, even though planning permission had not yet been granted for the route. The Assistant Director LTC responded that HE were currently working north and south of the Thames undertaking intrusive and non-intrusive survey works, such as trial trenches, archaeological trenches, and bore holes. She stated that the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act allowed agencies to undertake necessary works to facilitate a project, such as the LTC. She stated that she had received a number of complaints  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

51.

Task Force Priorities List pdf icon PDF 596 KB

Minutes:

There were no updates to the Task Force Priorities List.

52.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 124 KB

Minutes:

There were no updates to the Work Programme.