A THURROCK councillor has hailed 'a small victory' and a staunch campaigner has expressed her confusion in the wake of changes to plans on the proposed route of the Lower Thames Crossing.

One of the main changes, reported earlier today on Thurrock NubNews (link via the red button below) is the scrapping of a planned rest and service area close to East Tilbury.

That has prompted ward councillor Fraser Massey to say: "I am very pleased with the change Highways England have made to remove the service and rest station from the plans.

"I raised the points that pollution and access would be major concerns and that it was always in the wrong place.

"I remain opposed to the Lower Thames Crossing plans overall and would encourage everyone to engage with the new consultation, decisions such as this show why they are so important.

"This is a small victory for East Tilbury and Thurrock but the larger battles are yet to come."

Laura Blake, vice chair of the Thames Crossing Action Group says she is concerned about several anomalies in the changes announced today by Highways England in a letter to local residents.

She says: "The changes appears to be confusing and conflicting, and generate lots of questions that we hope to request some answers to!"

Ms Blake also points out that the new maps show changes which will impact on residents in Stanford and Corringham who use the A13 - but the two communities have not been included as locations where new special consultations will be held.

"We will be asking why Stanford and Corringham have been left out. These changes will affect those towns and it is import that local residents there get the chance to air their views too."