Lower Thames Crossing Post-Consultation Scheme Assessment Report Volume 2 Volume Volume 2: Introduction and Existing Conditions Lower Thames Crossing | 2017 POST-CONSULTATION SCHEME ASSESSMENT REPORT (VOLUME 2) - INTRODUCTION AND EXISTING CONDITIONS Contents Section Page 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Structure of Post-Consultation Scheme Assessment Report ........................... 1 1.2 Structure of this Volume ................................................................................... 2 2 Scheme Background ................................................................................................. 3 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Previous Studies .............................................................................................. 4 3 Existing Traffic and Physical Conditions................................................................. 8 3.1 Existing Network ............................................................................................... 8 3.2 A282 Corridor ................................................................................................... 8 3.3 Dart Charge .................................................................................................... 10 3.4 Traffic Management Cell ................................................................................ 11 3.5 A2 and M2 Corridor ........................................................................................ 12 3.6 Other Roads in Kent ....................................................................................... 13 3.7 A13, A1089 and A127 in Thurrock and Essex................................................ 13 3.8 Other Roads in Thurrock and Essex .............................................................. 13 3.9 Recent Improvements to the Existing Road Network ..................................... 13 3.10 Future Highway Schemes .............................................................................. 14 3.11 Improvements at Dartford Crossing................................................................ 15 3.12 Existing Traffic Conditions .............................................................................. 16 3.13 Traffic Flows ................................................................................................... 16 3.14 Congestion at Dartford Crossing .................................................................... 19 3.15 Journey Time Reliability ................................................................................. 22 3.16 Network Resilience ......................................................................................... 26 3.17 Road Safety .................................................................................................... 27 3.18 Non-Motorised Users ..................................................................................... 31 3.19 Geology and Mining ....................................................................................... 31 3.20 Existing Utilities .............................................................................................. 31 3.21 Operation and Maintenance ........................................................................... 32 4 Environmental Conditions ...................................................................................... 33 4.1 Environmental Overview ................................................................................ 33 4.2 Noise .............................................................................................................. 34 4.3 Local Air Quality ............................................................................................. 36 4.4 Landscape ...................................................................................................... 40 4.5 Heritage and Historic Resources .................................................................... 43 4.6 Biodiversity ..................................................................................................... 45 4.7 Water Environment ......................................................................................... 49 4.8 Climate ........................................................................................................... 52 5 Planning Policy ........................................................................................................ 53 5.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 53 5.2 European Policy ............................................................................................. 53 5.3 National Policy ................................................................................................ 54 5.4 Regional Policy ............................................................................................... 57 5.5 Local Planning and Transport Policy .............................................................. 57 6 Existing Land Use .................................................................................................... 59 6.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 59 6.2 Location A ...................................................................................................... 59 6.3 Location C ...................................................................................................... 59 i POST-CONSULTATION SCHEME ASSESSMENT REPORT (VOLUME 2) HA540039-HHJ-ZZZ-REP-ZZZ-012 DATE PUBLISHED - MARCH 2017 UNCONTROLLED WHEN PRINTED POST-CONSULTATION SCHEME ASSESSMENT REPORT (VOLUME 2) - INTRODUCTION AND EXISTING CONDITIONS 6.4 Community Land Use ..................................................................................... 60 7 Socio-Economic Analysis ....................................................................................... 61 7.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 61 7.2 National Economic Trends ............................................................................. 61 7.3 Regional Economic Trends ............................................................................ 63 7.4 Local Economic Trends .................................................................................. 64 8 Future Development and Economic Growth ......................................................... 75 8.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 75 9 Future Conditions at Dartford ................................................................................. 79 9.1 Without Scheme Scenario .............................................................................. 79 9.2 Future Traffic Conditions ................................................................................ 79 9.3 Future Development Plans ............................................................................. 82 9.4 Future Environmental and Road Safety Conditions ....................................... 83 10 The Need for Improvement ...................................................................................... 85 10.1 Summary of Existing Problems at Dartford .................................................... 85 10.2 Scheme Objectives for a new Crossing.......................................................... 87 11 References ................................................................................................................ 88 12 Abbreviations and Glossary ................................................................................... 90 13 Appendices ............................................................................................................... 98 Tables Table 3.1 - Summary of A282 corridor capacity Issues ........................................................ 10 Table 3.2 - Improvement and Management Schemes at Existing Dartford Crossing ........... 15 Table 3.3 - Analysis of Peak Journeys over the CRossing ................................................... 18 Table 3.4 - Casualty data on A282 before and after Dart Charge ........................................ 30 Table 5.1 - Summary of local planning and transport policy ................................................. 57 Table 7.1 - Socio-economic indicators - Kent ....................................................................... 64 Table 7.2 - Socio-economic indicators - Essex ..................................................................... 66 Table 7.3 - Socio-economic indicators - Medway ................................................................. 68 Table 7.4 - Socio-economic indicators - Thurrock ................................................................ 70 Table 7.5 - Socio-economic Indicators - Southend-on-Sea .................................................. 71 Table 7.6 - Summary of key economic and social indicators to show performance of the Study Area compared to the UK National average ........................................... 74 Table 8.1 - Planned developments affecting traffic at Dartford ............................................. 75 Table 8.2 - Development planning criteria for the growth scenarios ....................................