West Tilbury, East Tilbury and Linford Forum Zoom Meeting on 16Th
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West Tilbury, East Tilbury and Linford Forum Zoom Meeting on 16th December 2020 at 7.30pm Present: John Purkiss – Chair, David Bowling – Vice Chair, Frazer Massey – Tres, Cris Bowling-cook – Sec, Kim Towlson – Chair TAF, Laura Blake – TCAG, Mike Tarbard – Bata Heritage/Hub, Bob Quick – Taskforce Rep, David Crates, Kelly Clarke, Leslely Keefe, Elaine Laver, Rachel Farmer – LAC Apologies: Cllr S Sammons Minutes of our last meeting January 2020 were agreed and signed. The meeting started with Laura from T.C.A.G.{Thames Crossing Action Group} explaining about the D.C.O.{Developmental Consent Order} being withdrawn by Highways England from the Planning Inspectorate on the 28th day after it was submitted, because the Planning Inspectorate were going to refuse the Planning Application. As soon as the D.C.O. went into the Planning Inspectorate local authorities that are affected are entitled to contact the Inspectorate and let them know about any inadequacies of the Consultation. Thurrock, Gravesham and Havering Councils put forward individual and joint responses. T.C.A.G. and council also had their responses accepted by the Planning Inspectorate. Laura had heard from Dartford Council that Highways England were going to resubmit the D.C.O. in April 2021 but according to other sources it was possibly going to be September, this was also heard through sources by John Purkiss. This will have put Highways England back by a considerable amount of time. Due to the the complaints that the Consultation process has caused and being seen as inadequate it is possible that another Statutory Consultation could be required and that feedback from that Consultation has to be seen to be feed into the DCO. Laura also said that the ruling with regard to Heathrow means that they can begin the process of applying for the D.C.O. and that was all. There was also a Climate Change Committee Conference (gov. agency) that Laura attended that there has to be a levelling up Carbon Emission Levels and that if Heathrow’s expansion took place then other developments would have to be curtailed as everything cannot be in the South exceeding the pollution levels. Laura also pointed out that Tilbury 2 could be used as it has an Agrigates and Concrete making facilities and could reduce the road network by 50% using the river. Transport Action Network has launched its 2nd legal challenge against the Government as the National Policy of Networks which sets out how they should progress with Roads and decisions made has not been updated since 2014 and does not take into account information now known about Carbon Emission, and the fact that the proposed Lower Thames Crossing would produce 5 million tonnes by the year 2060 and that the research and understanding of PM2.5 (brake dust and tyre particulates) which does not meet W.H.O.{world health organisation} standards. At the moment the L.T.C. route fails under W.H.O. rules but these rules have not been adopted into UK Law yet. Laura explained that should anyone wish to get involved in fund raising or by donating to Transport Action Network it would be as all there challenges have to be paid for even though they do get a good rate. Should anyone wish to please contact Laura. Another thing that they are dealing with is Unexploded Ordinance over in South Ockendon, where the contractor for Highways England was doing preliminary works close to houses, causing some residents to be fearful. Should anyone at any time see anything they are concerned about then please contact Highways England and also make T.C.A.G. aware so that they can make notes and keep any eye on the situation . There was a situation in Kent were gas pressure had to be reduced due to a main gas pipeline being damaged. Bob Quick said that at the recent Taskforce Meeting that questions were being asked about the working times that Highways England had put forward stating that they classed March to November to be Summer and therefore would be working longer hours and as Bob rightly pointed out we all know that Summer doesn’t run for 9 months and that people have to remember that the construction works could go on for a period of 6 YEARS! Bob went on to say that at the next Taskforce Meeting in January 2021 they had invited Matt Palmer who is the Executive Director but there had been not confirmation as yet. Frazer Massey – Chair of the Taskforce went on to say that they were hoping to see updated designs of Viaducts and green bridges as we will have a green bridge at Linford along with other design features. The Taskforce has come a long way in the last six months and was expecting to be very busy in the next six months which given that the General Services Committee had tried to wind down the Taskforce once the D.C.O. had been submitted, it would have left the borough in an unimaginable situation as it was not thought the D.C.O. would have been withdrawn by Highways England. “The Taskforce will now charge in 2021 with Frazer leading that charge.” John asked if the recent ruling of Air Pollution on a death certificate of a child would make a difference to the L.T.C. and pollution, Laura said that this has set a presidence especially in areas that have excessive Air Pollution. It was asked if anyone had any questions for Laura, Bob or Frazer. Mike Tarbard said he would like to Thank Laura for her input. Mike went on to point out about the road system in East Tilbury and surrounding area and that there had been an incident at Horndon on the Hill at Robinson Road were due to the narrow road a crane had gone off road and it had taken several days to retrieve it and as our roads in East Tilbury were similar and were they fit for purpose. Dave Bowling asked a question with regard to Air Monitors, saying that a few years back T.B.C. was going to remove some Air Monitors then T.B.C. stated they would leave all the monitors in place was Frazer or Laura aware if this was so had they increased monitors. This was not known by Laura or Frazer. Dave asked if we knew where these monitors were but Laura said it was not general information as they could be tampered with but that they would look closely at any Air Monitoring Report checking the time of day etc. that the reading were taken as it wasn’t impossible that the reading could be taken at wrong times to favour Highways England. David Crates asked if and when Construction starts it would be good to know the Air Quality level at the start. Frazer said that they had been trying to get such information from Highways England as a base model Health data, it was one of the things that Highways England held back from the Local Authorities and were not going to release the data until the D.C.O. had been accepted, however the Planning Inspectorate pulled them apart for this and they have now released a 55,000 page document. David Crates asked if it was normal for such information to be held back and no it’s not normally the case. David Crates asked when they built DP World Port was the Air Quality measured for this. Kelly explained that you can look up on line and get such information under National Strategy Status Report Plan and looking up Air Quality Annual Report and you can look up Roads and Areas. Elaine also asked who is responsible for the Air Monitoring measurements. T.B.C. should have the base lines. Anyone can put in for a Freedom of Information and if anyone does could they let L.T.C. know the results. We then moved on to Speed Humps These have proved to be unpopular with the residence of East Tilbury and not doing the job that they were meant to do – slow down the traffic. Residence are not against the slower speed limits and some have asked for speed cameras as these would most definitely slow traffic down. The speed humps are straddled by the Lorries using the roads into Linford and East Tilbury and do not slow them down and the cars are being tipped either left or right depending on the size causing some people with back problems pain. David Crates said that when there was as raised r/b outside the George vehicles had to slow down but since the r/b had been flattened vehicles didn’t slow down. The humps in East Tilbury Road caused vehicles to tip in or out and that two vehicles were unable to pass. It was suggested by Kim Towlson the Forum should email the relevant department expressing the views of our residents and that everyone should do this. These humps are meant to be temporary and could be removed after the trial period provided people have expressed their views. It was pointed out that the properly constructed Humps in North Stifford worked well as do the ones in the Southend Road. The money for East Tilburys was a grant from Government interpreted by T.B.C.to encourage Walking, cycling and fitness and the first part was the signs on the pathways for Covid and signs at the stations. Cris Bowling-cook asked why when we had attended a meeting with Matt Ford{ Council officer} who once lived in Linford had he not taken any notice when all persons in that meeting had said that Speed Humps where a waste of time.