The Lower Thames Crossing will be the first major UK infrastructure project to be assigned a single lead environmental regulator, in a move designed to speed up consents and cut delays to the country’s largest roadbuilding scheme.
The £9bn project — which proposes twin tunnels beneath the River Thames to link Kent and Essex and 20km of other new road infrastructure — is intended to improve road capacity and connectivity between the south-east and the rest of the country. Ministers say it will support around 22,000 jobs and encourage investment across the regions.
Under the new system, Natural England will act as the lead environmental regulator for the scheme and co-ordinate input from other bodies including the Environment Agency and the Marine Management Organisation. The government says the arrangement is intended to replace the current practice in which developers negotiate separately with a number of overlapping authorities, a process it describes as time-consuming and costly.
Any disputes or issues that cannot be resolved between the regulators are to be escalated to a new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Infrastructure Board, according to the announcement, a mechanism intended to “unblock” problems and keep projects moving.
Ministers framed the move as part of a broader effort to tackle lengthy approval processes for major infrastructure projects. The appointment of a lead regulator follows a recent injection of government funding for the crossing — the chancellor announced an extra £590M for the scheme earlier this year — and forms one of the pilot measures Defra will trial for developments with complex environmental considerations.
The pilot is also cited as an early implementation of recommendations from a recent review of environmental regulation led by Dan Corry, a former head of the No.10 Policy Unit. The review identified several high-impact changes to reduce regulatory complexity; the government said it would consider further recommendations in due course.
Industry reactions are likely to be mixed. Proponents of faster delivery argue a single point of regulatory contact could reduce duplication, lower costs and accelerate construction, potentially bringing economic benefits to towns and businesses that would use the new crossing. Environmental groups, however, have previously warned that streamlining decision-making must not dilute scrutiny of impacts on wildlife, water systems and local communities.
The Lower Thames Crossing has been controversial since its inception. Environmental campaigners and some local authorities have raised concerns about potential harm to habitats, increases in local traffic and air quality consequences. The scheme remains subject to detailed environmental assessments and planning consents; the new lead regulator role is intended to co-ordinate those assessments rather than replace them.
The government says lessons from the Lower Thames Crossing pilot — together with other trials — will inform a broader rollout of the lead regulator approach for major developments across the country. Defra ministers present the change as part of a wider agenda to reform environmental governance while driving infrastructure delivery, but it will be closely watched by developers, regulators and campaigners for how it is implemented in practice.
Environment secretary Steve Reed said: “Britain’s planning rules are so complicated they’ve blocked development of new homes and businesses.
“Under the government’s Plan for Change, a new approach will see a lead environmental regulator appointed to smooth the system and keep projects firmly on track.
“This means faster transport, energy and housing developments nationwide that will be better for the economy and properly protect the environment.”
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