In a written statement to Parliament, Transport Minister has announced the lifting
of the Thames Gateway Bridge safeguarding direction.
He said:
Today (17 July 2025) I am informing the House of my decision to
lift the safeguarding direction for the Thames Gateway Bridge.
This reflects the government's commitment to ensuring our
transport and infrastructure supports housing delivery and drives
growth as part of the Plan for Change.
Safeguarding is an important planning tool used to protect land
for future transport schemes from conflicting development. In
this case, the safeguarding direction for the Thames Gateway
Bridge dates back to 1940, when the area's transport needs were
very different. It was intended to protect land for a road
crossing that has not been delivered. Since then, London's
transport priorities have evolved, and over the decades, we have
seen major investments in London's river crossings – most notably
the Dartford Crossing and, recently, the Silvertown Tunnel. The
safeguarding directions therefore no longer align with the
direction of transport policy or the evolving needs of this part
of London.
The continued safeguarding of this land has been an obstacle to
much-needed development, and I am therefore lifting these
directions. The government is keen to deliver new homes and
unlock economic opportunity, and we are taking steps to remove
unnecessary barriers to progress.
