MORE fuel has been added to the continuing sense of anger and frustration from Thurrock campaigners and civic leaders over National Highways' apparent determination to forge ahead with its Lower Thames Cross plans regardless of local opposition. 

The controversial £10 billion scheme has yet to win approval from the planning inspectorate or the government and, only yesterday (Tuesday, 15 November) borough MP Jackie Doyle-Price damned the proposal and called on transport minister Mark Harper to 'tear up the plans'.

However, far from showing any reticence or lack of confidence, National Highways today announced it is already employing more people to work on the project.

It said: "The first group of graduates on the ambitious Lower Thames Crossing project have started work, with all recruited from the local area. 

"The four new graduates, one from Thurrock, two from Kent and one from Redbridge, recently took up their roles following a local recruitment drive. The group have joined the team to support the project as it prepares for construction. 

"All are taking part in National Highways' three-year project management graduate programme, including leadership development and an Association for Project Management level 4 qualification.

"The group are part of the project's longer-term skills and employment programme that will see over 700 graduates, apprentices and trainees work on the project, and raise the skill levels of thousands of people and businesses, including futureproofing their workforce through a new digital Carbon Academy. Over the six years of construction, the project will provide work for more than 22,000 people."

The announcement has not gone down well with opponents of the project. 

Thames Crossing Action Group Chair, Laura Blake said: "This is yet more presumptuous and misleading propaganda from National Highways to try and give people the impression the LTC project is going ahead. "The reality of course is that nobody will know until 28th November whether the planning application for the LTC will be accepted for examination or not, and even if it is there are no guarantees permission would be granted. 

"We agree with Jackie Doyle-Price MP that the project is past its sell by date and the LTC plans should be ripped up, because to proceed with a project that would add to the problems, not solve them, as well as being so hugely destructive and harmful, would be wrong on so many levels, including wasting £10bn+ of taxpayers' money. We need and deserve better." 

East Tilbury councillor and chair of Thurrock Council's Lower Thames Crossing Task Force, Cllr Fraser Massey, added: "I understand National Highways wanting to progress on aspects of the Lower Thames Crossing project behind the scenes, this can be tenders, training, testing etc, but for a project which has still never had its plans successfully accepted by the Planning Inspectorate the employment of local graduates seems pre emptive, they could be training for a project which never happens. 

"Both local MPs are against the project in its current proposal, Thurrock Council are opposed, elected Thurrock members are opposed, the project did not even get a mention in the last chancellor's mini budget, and it remains to be seen if it will be included tomorrow. 

"We won't know if the project has even been accepted by the Planning Inspectorate to begin the process until the 28th of November. Even if accepted it has a long way to go before making recommendations to the Secretary of State.

"At a time when tax payers money is being stretched and budgets cut an estimated £10 billion project which devatates the Thurrock greenbelt and local communities and yet still does not solve the problem it was designed to fix seems frivolous. 

"I agree with the recent comments of Jackie Doyle Price MP, this project is outdated, we need to look at crossing the Thames in a new modern way. It is indeed time to rip it up and start again."

Defending the appointments, despite the opposition, National Highways media manager Harry Bellew told Thurrock Nub News: "The graduates have been bought on to the project via National Highways three year graduate programme and they will be supported through his programme regardless of the outcome of the planning process. 

"If the application is unsuccessful, the graduates will be transferred to another National Highways project to complete the programme. 

"There is also a lot of work do as we prepare for construction, so we are ready to deliver the project as soon as we can if given the go ahead – this is standard across major infrastructure projects. 

"If we waited to complete some of this preparation work until after full planning permission was granted, it would delay the project by many years and have a much larger impact on the local community."