THE long wait for a decision on the £10 billion Lower Thames Crossing is having a huge impact on residents, councillors fear.

Following a decision to further delay a decision on the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) until May 2025, councillors say it is impacting residents' lives and preventing the council from completing it's local plan which will decide where to allocate land for housing and growth for decades to come.

Speaking at a meeting of the Lower Thames Crossing Task Force, its chairman Cllr Fraser Massey, said: "There has been lots of people's lives who have had a lot of upheaval due to the LTC plans in terms of some people have sold their houses, others have had their houses purchased other people are still dreading it being at the bottom of their garden and they are not going to get any recompense until it's taking transport if it ever gets built.

"How much does this affect delivery of our local plan?"

In response, Ashley Baldwin, Thurrock council's chief planning officer said the challenge the council has is "when will growth come forward and where should growth be allocated".

He added: "In the absence of clarity around the Lower Thames Crossing, the council will have to make a decision in terms of the implications of that. There is a direct link between the local plan and the LTC because that will have an impact on when future growth is phased."

Proposals for the new crossing between Kent and Essex, which began in 2016, was also branded a "dinosaur project" due to the changing face of travel, and was impacting on housing schemes, details of which were dependent on the crossing.

Neil Speight, Independent councillor for Stanford-le-Hope West, said: "What I'm really concerned about is the impact on our borough, the impact on our residents.

"It's really unfair on residents who don't know whether to buy a house, sell a house, don't know what schools to put their kids into - because we don't know."

Cllr Speight called on cabinet to agree to write to the Minister of State for Transport to calling for no more delays to the decision. He added: "It is our job is to hold Government to account."

His proposal was supported by members of the committee.

The initial deadline for a decision on whether to grant a development consent order enabling National Highways to build the 14.3-mile road was initially scheduled for June 20, but was delayed until October 4 because of the general election. It is now expected on May 23.