Protest over Silvertown Tunnel being held today
Campaigners are to hold a protest about the Silvertown Tunnel this afternoon (Saturday 5th June).
They intend to gather in Canning Town at Terry Spinks Place from 1:30pm with the protest beginning at 2pm.
South of the river in Greenwich, more tree felling has taken place. Over 120 trees are being cut down for the tunnel, which despite claims by some politicians is set to increase congestion according to TfL.
Congestion and pollution
The main cause south of the Thames is double the number of lanes converging into the existing road network through Greenwich, Blackheath, Kidbrooke and Eltham. TfL expect additional congestion each afternoon peak at all those locations.
Those predictions also predate increased housing at Greenwich Peninsula, Charlton Riverside and Kidbrooke.
A new tunnel will also allow HGVs currently prohibited from using Blackwall Tunnel.
I think it is telling of the creeping left leaning bias on this site that the author glosses over the significant involvment of London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s, his Deputy Heidi Alexander and the actions of notable councillors at Greenwich Council in pushing this through. To say: “despite claims by some politicians” really does ignore the role of the hypocritical stance this Labour Mayor has taken in supporting this environmental abomination. During his first election pitch Khan promised a review of the Silvertown Tunnel only to rubber stamp it within five weeks of coming to office.
From recent posts, it is obvious the author is sympathetic to the plight of TfL, and with good reason in many instances, however, I am at a loss to find anything that suggests TfL warned of increased congestion. Wouldn’t it be more factual to remark on the criticisms regarding TfL’s outdated and pitifully inaccurate traffic modelling from 2016, rather than suggest that TfL was in any way flagging up any increase in congestion in the area, as crucial decisions were made on proceeding with this hugely unpopular project?
I’ve highlighted Khan and Greenwich Councils support in dozens of previous posts and continually on social media. I’ve called out Khan’s selective quotes again and again.
Labour in London own this whole sorry project and it will bring misery to East and South East London forever. Despite the current posturing of local Labour groups , until they actually do something significant, like deselecting party hacks that continue to support this toxic tunnel nothing will change. Party members so far continue to put the party before what’s for London and its environment.
The more crossings in East London the better.
Instead of protest against a crossing, how about propose and campaign for a crossing in a better location?
At least they haven’t decided, after hearing all the pleas for more crossings in East London, to go ahead with a Garden Bridge in Pimlico or something!
People have – and it’s got nowhere and with cuts nothing will in all likelihood not happen for decades. No new DLR to Thamesmead. No London Overground extension.
So the only game in town is more traffic onto existing roads in Greenwich already at capacity with two tunnel’s feeding to one road. As TfL themselves conceded, this will cause more congestion for years to come across a wide area as traffic tries to disperse.