Council and democracy

The Senior Consultant explained that no new information had been received on the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) since the last meeting. Councillor Muldowney asked if the Task Force could get sight of the HIA document. The Senior Consultant replied that the only HIA document that Thurrock Council had received was from DCO v1, which included the draft Health and Equalities Impact Assessment (HEqIA), but this could be circulated to the Task Force for information. He explained that nine local authorities, including Thurrock, had commissioned an independent assessment of the methodology of the HIA, and many points raised by this assessment would hopefully be included in the next version. He stated that Thurrock had received the full contents list from the next version of the HIA, but would only receive the final document at DCO submission.

The Resident Representative asked when the updated traffic model would be available, and if this would include traffic data from the Dartford Crossing. The Senior Consultant replied that the updated traffic model data would not be available until mid-March, at which point Thurrock would get the opportunity to analyse the data. He explained that Thurrock Council had only received the cordon model and not received full access to the previous full traffic model, so therefore could only make assumptions regarding traffic in certain areas. The Interim Assistant Director Regeneration and Place Delivery added that the new consultation was being called a Local Refinement Consultation by NH, and therefore they would only consult on areas of change, for example Tilbury Fields. He stated that Thurrock were pushing for NH to consult on a wider variety of aspects.

Councillor Muldowney asked if the Council could push to move the consultation so it did not fall within purdah. The Senior Consultant replied that officers would be raising this with NH, and the Chief Executive was also aware. He suggested that the Task Force could also raise this with NH to provide a political standpoint. The Chair suggested that he would write a letter and circulate it to the Task Force for their agreement and signature, to urge NH to postpone the consultation until after the purdah period had finished.

The TCAG Representative added that NH had recently submitted a retrospective planning application for a site on Pilgrims Lane. She stated that she was reviewing the planning application that NH had submitted, and had found that it contained unreliable data, for example it stated that no trees would be destroyed, but she felt that the area contained lots of trees that would need to be destroyed for the proposed coach park. Councillor Byrne stated that the planning application for Pilgrims Lane would be brought before the Planning Committee, so he could update the Task Force as to the outcome of that discussion.

The TCAG Representative added that she had also raised the issue of smart motorways with the relevant Select Committee, local MPs, and NH, as she felt the LTC scheme should be paused, in line with the pause to smart motorways. She explained that although the LTC would be an ‘all-purpose trunk road’, it was being designed to smart motorway standards. The Interim Assistant Director Regeneration and Place Delivery added that Thurrock Council had also written to NH regarding the pause of the smart motorway programme, as the LTC was being designed to almost identical standards.