MORE than 48 hours after Highways England released its latest thoughts on a new Lower Thames Crossing project and, in the wake of much local social media comment, Thurrock Council has called on residents to make a response.

The authority says it is challenging Highways England's plans for a new Lower Thames crossing route through Thurrock, despite cancelling five out of the last ten scheduled meetings of its Task Force dealing with the project. It is now urging residents to make their voice heard and take part in Highways England's latest phase of public consultation on their proposals.

As reported on Thurrock NubNews on Tuesday (click on red button below) Highways England have made changes to their proposals following the first round of consultation which received more than 28,000 responses.

These changes include scrapping plans for a rest, service and maintenance area and the junction it would have required at Tilbury; redesigning the slip road around the A13 and A1089 junction; removing one lane southbound between the M25 and A13 junction; changing the road alignment north of South Ockendon and moving the alignment of the road between the Tilbury and the A13 by 60 metres.

Leader of Thurrock Council, Cllr Rob Gledhill said: "It is vital that residents take part in Highways England's latest consultation on the Lower Thames Crossing.

"The response to the previous consultation has already led to the plans being re-evaluated but it's disappointing the latest changes don't go far enough to mitigate the harm this will cause to Thurrock.

"We will continue to robustly defend the council's and borough's position in relation to these proposals."

Portflio Holder for Regeneration, Cllr Mark Coxshall said: "Highways England are planning a major highway which will create an unnatural division through the borough. There are still major concerns about the lack of obvious benefits to local businesses and residents in their scheme. The removal of the Tilbury link road and proposals offering no improved connectivity within the borough remain a concern.

"We continue to challenge Highways England. We will provide constructive feedback on their proposals."

Cllr Coxshall's concerns about the Tilbury link have been challenged by local campaigner Laura Blake, vice chair of the Thames Crossing Action Group, who believes that talks are well underway to create a separate Tilbury link road outside of the remit of existing plans, purely so Highways England can play around with the budgets.

"The Tilbury link is not off the table, it is still very much under discussion at Task Force meetings. It's just not in the current budget!" she says,