A government decision on development of the Lower Thames Crossing project has been postponed for another seven months.

In a statement, the government announced it is extending the deadline for a decision on the application by National Highways under the Planning Act 2008, for the A122 (Lower Thames Crossing) Development Consent Order until to 23 May 2025.

It said the deadline for the decision had been extended “to allow more time for the application to be considered further, including any decisions made as part of the spending review”.

Laura Wright, interim policy director at the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) and Environmental Industries Commission (EIC), said long term certainty was needed for industry when it comes to planning for, and working on, major infrastructure projects. 

“On behalf of our members, the Association for Consultancy and Engineering is proactively lobbying government through our manifesto and at events to provide an infrastructure strategy with established long term funding," she said.

"Pipeline surety is needed for members to effectively plan and manage their resources for projects like the Lower Thames Crossing without costly delays."

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) said contractors have been left disappointed by the government’s decision.

CECA director of operations Marie-Claude Hemming said: “This is disappointing news for our industry, which has been primed to support the government in delivering its five growth missions.

“While we understand the importance of ensuring the right decision is made, this last-minute delay will heavily impact upon the confidence and strength of the supply chain, which has primed itself for delivery.

“CECA and the wider industry will continue to make the case for a sensible discussion to be had about how to better unlock infrastructure investment where doing so makes significant housing development more viable.

“We would like to work with government and others to better capture the value uplift associated, helping to deliver ambitions targets on new home construction, through projects such as the Lower Thames Crossing.”

Logistics UK chief executive David Wells said the postponement was “deeply concerning” and runs counter to what the new government has said about getting Britain building again.

“Industry is united in its opinion that the Lower Thames Crossing needs to be built so the decision to delay the DCO will be met with bitter disappointment and frustration by businesses up and down the country,” he added.

“The new crossing can pay for itself many times over, driving growth by generating billions for the UK economy and creating thousands of high-quality jobs, and should not be delayed further.

“While geographically in Kent and Essex, the proposed crossing is nationally significant and is vital for improving connections between the North, the Midlands and the Channel ports, where the Short Straits crossings between England and France handle over half of all goods traded between Great Britain and mainland Europe.

“The scheme has already been stuck in the planning stages for over a decade and this further delay will see businesses and consumers continuing to shoulder the financial burden that congestion at the Dartford Crossing costs the UK economy every year in lost productivity.”

The A122 Lower Thames Crossing would connect to the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 in Thurrock and junction 29 of the M25 in the London Borough of Havering.

It would be approximately 14.3 miles long, with 2.6 miles of this in two tunnels under the Thames – making them the longest road tunnels in the UK.

National Highways says congestion on the Dartford Crossing costs the UK more than £200m every year in time lost sitting in traffic.

The proposed Lower Thames Crossing would almost double road capacity across the Thames east of London – easing congestion on the Dartford Crossing, improving journeys across the south east, and creating a reliable new route across the river.