TCAG and HE updates re Coronavirus 16th March 2020

Update 16th March 2020

Thames Crossing Action Group admin team have made the united decision to NOT attend any public meetings/events for the foreseeable future with immediate effect, in light of the Coronavirus (COVID19). This does include LTC Task Force tonight, we have sent Thurrock Council our apologies, and also our thanks to the team who have worked long and hard on the Council’s official LTC Supplementary Consultation response (details of which can be found within – www.thamescrossingactiongroup.com/impacts-to-thurrock/).

We are aware that there are instances of confirmed cases where no signs of symptoms are showing such as Australian TV reporter Richard Wilkins – https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6679448/richard-wilkins-tests-positive-to-covid-19/?cs=17318 so as well as for our own safety and those close to us, we want to be responsible and not potentially be risking carrying and spreading the virus unknowingly, as we have to date obviously been attending many public events.

We feel very strongly that this LTC consultation should be postponed and re-run at a time when the threat from Coronavirus is no longer so great, and that is of course an aside from all the inadequacies of consultation that we feel there are.

We are aware of many residents who are not attending the HE info/mobile events because of serious concerns with regard to Coronavirus. We are also more than aware that the consultation materials are not clear and informative enough, and when we have raised this at info events we have been told that is why people should come to info events to get answers to their questions. Put simply we feel there is more than adequate reason and cause for the postponement of the consultation, and that if HE truly wish to consult the public adequately the decision and announcement to postpone consultation needs to be made immediately.

Our fight against LTC continues, just without us attending any public meetings/events. We will continue to keep asking questions to HE, via email, and keep sharing updates online via our website and social media.

We would encourage anyone who feels that it is an inadequacy of consultation to continue with this consultation in light of the serious nature of the Coronavirus, and who feels that there is a need for the current consultation to be postponed until after the threat of Coronavirus has passed to please email Highways England – info@lowerthamescrossing.co.uk and ltc@highwaysengland.co.uk, and copy in the Planning Inspectorate – LowerThamesCrossing@planninginspectorate.gov.uk and if a resident in Thurrock also cc – LTCAdmin@thurrock.gov.uk, those outside of Thurrock may also wish to copy in their local authority or MP.

You may remember we have also sent emails with regard to concerns over inadequacies of the official LTC website – see – www.thamescrossingactiongroup.com/yet-more-he-inadequacies/. We will also be following up with a further email listing other concerns of inadequacies of this consultation, such as misleading and inaccurate info, conflicting info given at events, lack of staff knowledge and ability to answer questions at info events, late and erroneous letters being sent to residents, and many other points. Please also include any other concerns and evidence you have about any other concerns over inadequacies of the consultation in your email regarding the request for postponement and re-run of the consultation if you wish.

Highways England have a legal obligation to consult us all adequately with clear and informative material. If we feel this isn’t the case we all have the right to bring this to their and the Planning Inspectorate’s attention. We can’t stress how important it is that if you feel there are any inadequacies of consultation you need to please report them asap. Thanks.

To be 100% clear at this time all remaining LTC consultation info events have been cancelled, however consultation continues, so we ask everyone to please continue to do their best to respond to the consultation. Please comment in your response about any concerns you have about the inadequacies of the consultation and cancellation of info events whilst continuing with the consultation. Please do that in addition to email as outlined above. Thanks

Update ends

BREAKING NEWS 20:00 16th March 2020
Highways England have issued the following update:

TCAG Response:

We are of course all very aware that the health impacts of LTC would hit those with existing health issues, and those most at risk from pollution related illnesses and conditions. They are of course the very same group of people who are most at risk from Coronavirus. If people are staying away from the public events because of the virus then we do have to consider the impact this will have on the validity/range of comments.

We feel very strongly that this LTC consultation should be postponed and re-run at a time when the threat from Coronavirus is no longer so great, and that is of course an aside from all the other inadequacies of consultation that we feel there are.

Update ends

Further update 22:18 16th March 2020

We have just had an email from HE with the following letter attached, our response:

CEO Blake

TCAG response

Our response to the situation remains the same, if the consultation events have been cancelled then the consultation should be postponed.

We had emailed HE to this effect literally just before the letter above was received. As well as people wanting and needing the opportunity to attend public info events at a time when it is safe to do so, there is also the aspect to consider that people are understandably distracted and busy with other things during this unusual time and consideration needs to be given to that fact. We stand by our comments that the LTC Supplementary Consultation needs to be postponed and re-run at a more suitable time, and to be held in an adequate manner.

Update ends