Request for information
Good afternoon Highways England,
There are some things it would be good for you to be able to show residents at the information event on 7 Dec 2017, otherwise you may face a barrage of questions you could be unable to answer.
- Detailed maps (already discussed) south of the river plus an overview of the entire route
- Maps and plans that will be required to preserve public rights of way
- The animated fly-through of the route (as reported in the press today as having been shown to business leaders)
- A list of the business and local authority leaders (name and company address) that attended this meeting (would be publicly accessible information via a FOI request if not already)
- This might not seem relevant but people tend to want to know what businesses have been involved in this process
- Evidence backing up the claims of £8 BILLION boost to the South-East economy
- Evidence showing how the figure of 6000 jobs the scheme is supposedly going to create was arrived at
- Studies showing the expected increase in harmful emissions in the Gravesham area and the health impact to residents, specifically within the immediate vicinity of the link road, the A2 and the tunnel, plus emissions linked to any modelling for when Dartford crossing is shut.
- The A2 was relocated recently to help improve where the air was dangerously exceeding air pollution limits – how are HE going to mitigate the obvious increase in this?
- This point is very important since it seems to be a main concern of most residents I speak to with the number of schools and young children and families within the immediate area of this scheme
- Plans showing how HE intend to preserve Thong with its special conservation area status
- A conservation area is an area that should not have any development which impacts it visually or changes its character – clearly this A2 junction and link road does and will (unless it is all moved underground)
- Information encouraging ideas for the legacy that HE wish to leave after the scheme, perhaps offering previously mentioned ideas as topics for discussion?
- I for one believe the scheme should be an opportunity to replace the woodlands that the area has seen devastated by this and other recent infrastructure projects.
- I’d like to see woodlands across all the land West of the crossing link road from the A2 to the A226 and
- since the scheme is already demolishing some ancient woodland HE are required (HS2 as a case example) to plant 30 hectares of new forest for each hectare lost.
- Woodland across this area, once at maturity, would provide a natural sound barrier and help towards filtering air pollution, it’s obviously visually more appealing too.
Representative for Riverview Park
Lower Thames Crossing Association