DESPITE the fact that National Highways have not yet managed to submit an acceptable Development Consent Order application to the goverment about the multi billion pound scheme to drive a new route through Thurrock, it appears to be pressing on with its plans at pace.

The £8.2bn Lower Thames Crossing has been a project blighted by delay and mistakes and it has met with significant local opposition.

For the past half decade vast amounts of money have been shelled out by the quango on meetings, advertising and bureaucracy and the process appears to be going on unchecked. Today (Wednesday, 28 September), for example, there is a 'meet the bidders' event at Orsett Hall Hotel. It's an event descibed as an opportunity for companies seeking to win one of three major contracts to meet with National Highways.

That's despite the fact that the contracts can't be properly quoted for because the plans remain in embryoic shape. The full Development Consent Order has not yet been completed, never mind submitted to the government. The order is the equivalent of planning permission for large projects and the government, when it finally gets its hands on the document, could insist on major changes. It has already rejected previously rejected faulty submissions.

While the potential bidders are getting to meet the officials who will dole out the deals, they are also getting a view of what local peopel think with banners posted outside Orsett Hall expressing opposition to the scheme in strong terms.