A TRANSPORT campaign group says new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt should scrap 'expensive and damaging road building projects' including the proposed Lower Thames Crossing – a scheme which critics say could cost as much as £10 billion.

The project is the biggest on the government's transport agenda, more than double the cost of four other major schemes currently under consideration says the Transport Action Network organisation.

The campaign group is a network of organisations established to support local communities press for more sustainable transport in England and Wales. This involves fighting cuts to bus services, particularly in rural areas, and opposing damaging road schemes and large unsustainable developments. 

Last night's Lower Thames Task Force meeting.

Its message came less than 24 hours after Thurrock's Lower Thames task force met at the Town Hall in Grays to quiz one of National Highways senior officers, Tim Wright who is Head of Consents (Lower Thames Crossing).

He was given a tough time by members of the task force (the meeting can be viewed via this link) especially when he was unable to come up with a cost estimate for the project.

Task force members said it seemed highly likely the original estimate of £8 billion would have been burst but he admitted he had not got the figures, nor that to bring them to the meeting.

Suitably chastised, he assured members he would do 'next time'. Mr Wright was also in the wrong for not having details to hand of many other crucial issues including health imapcts according to councillors who included a very critical Chadwell St Mary ward member Cllr Sara Muldowney. She damned him for his lack of information - as did another member, Laura Blake who is chaior of the Thames Crossing Action Group and at times she was visibly angry with the response of Mr Wright.

Tim Wright.

Cllr John Kent was another member who weighed in with criticism of National Highways who he described as being shorouded in secrecy, lies and showing contempt for the people of Thurrock, He asked Mr Wright if he realised just how badly National Highways are perceived by the critical public of Thurrock whose legitimate concerns and questions are continually not answered. Mr Wright said: "We will share more information when and where we can."

Today (Tuesday, 18 October) Transport Action Network said it had written to the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to suggest scrapping a number of major projects, including the crossing, which 'will do little to boost the economy'.

Examining the business cases for five flagship road schemes, TAN says it has has discovered that most of them are classed as either "poor" or "low" value for money under Treasury rules, with a combined cost of £16 billion, with the Lower Thames Crossing the biggest at around an estimated £10 billion.

The Network statement says: "Cutting them could help balance the books after Liz Truss's disastrous mini-budget and avoid huge cuts in public services. Even with the reversal of many tax cuts on Monday, the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates there's still a hole of around £40bn in the UK budget.

"Despite the evidence that new roads rarely deliver the benefits claimed, building more roads is one of the few remaining strands of Liz Truss's growth agenda. Inflation in the construction sector and National Highways' poor record of cost control makes roadbuilding commitments even more risky.

"Many new roads would also cause great harm. "

Chris Todd, Director of Transport Action Network, added: "The economy is in trouble after Liz Truss's disastrous mini-budget and growth plan. Scrapping just five white elephant road schemes would save £16bn, nearly half the budget deficit. That could prevent savage cuts in public services and help safeguard the most vulnerable.

"The Growth Plan risks growing traffic and congestion and little else. It will undermine productivity, while increasing carbon emissions. All this at a time when we need urgent reductions from the transport sector.

"It's nothing short of scandalous to consider blowing billions of pounds on roads schemes that provide little long-term benefit. Investing the same money in active travel, local transport, rail freight and road maintenance would deliver far greater growth and help with levelling up. This reset is a chance to get things back on track and we're urging the Chancellor to grasp this opportunity."