Thames tunnel will be assessed by Secretary of State under DCO regime

Plans for east London's Silvertown Tunnel will now be considered under the Development Consent Order (DCO) regime and will be assessed by the Secretary of State. This could reduce the timescale required to secure approval for the scheme. 

The Silvertown Tunnel would link Silvertown and Greenwich and relieve congestion at Blackwell Tunnel by providing an alternate route. It has been designed to add more capacity to the road network and would allow tall vehicles to cross the river, which the Blackwall Tunnel cannot, said Transport for London (TfL).

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has welcomed Greening's decision to designate the tunnel as a NSIP and hopes the designation will help deliver his objective of having the crossing open to traffic by 2021.

The Silvertown Tunnel was designated as a NSIP in recognition of the significant impact the new crossing is designed to have on congestion in London, said TfL, and consequently on economic growth and development in the Capital and across the UK as a whole.

The Mayor's London Plan designated the Greenwich Peninsula and Royal Docks as Development Areas. These would be boosted by an additional river crossing. The crossing was also given support by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his recent autumn statement and budget statement.

The Silvertown Tunnel is one of a number of new river crossings proposed by the Mayor, the first of which, a cable car crossing, is due to open this week.

A preliminary consultation on the new Thames river crossings was undertaken by TfL in March. Of the 3,900 responses received, 93% of respondents agreed that more river crossings were required and 82% supported the proposed Silvertown Tunnel.

Further design work will be undertaken by TfL ahead of a second consultation which is planned for later this year. The consultation will be open to London residents, local boroughs, businesses and stakeholders, prior to the submission of a formal DCO application.

"This decision is a major step forward for the Silvertown Tunnel, an important new Thames River crossing which would reduce congestion and boost economic growth in this important development area of London," said Johnson.

"I welcome the Secretary of State's decision, which recognises the need for continued investment and the important role played by London's transport network in supporting economic development and growth, in the Capital and right across the UK," he said.