Mega theme park could create traffic chaos in Essex
Transport infrastructure in Essex could be severely impacted, transport bodies have said
Transport infrastructure in Essex – including the Dartford Crossing – could be severely impacted due to a new £3.5 billion theme park being planned in Kent, transport bodies have said.
Transport for London (TfL) – one of the respondents to a planning application for the London Resort being planned on the Swanscombe Peninsula – says it has concerns over the resilience of the transport network.
It said an incident on the Dartford Crossings or delays on the HS1 rail lines, for example, could "lead to a significantly different pattern of demand".
TfL adds that the M25, the Dartford Crossing and other parts of the strategic road network in this area already suffer from congestion for extended periods.
It claims the use of a spreadsheet model is totally inadequate for assessment of the impact of additional flows "since it cannot effectively model the congested nature of the network and the diversionary effect that will result".
TfL anticipate that flows from the development, especially in the "without Lower Thames Crossing" scenarios, are likely to lead to diversion of traffic onto TfL’s strategic road network – including alternative river crossings such as Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels, in addition to traffic generated to and from London itself.
Highways England says locations of potential concern include M25 junction 2, M25 junction 30, the A13/A1089 junction and the A2/M2 east of the M25.
It adds that forecasted traffic impacts both during construction and operation of the proposed development and assumptions made about the proposed Lower Thames Crossing may not be accurate.
Thames Crossing Action Group said it has concerns that the London Resort would create yet more traffic in areas that are already heavily congested.
It said:
"Even if the LTC goes ahead Highways England’s own data shows that the Dartford Crossing will remain over capacity.
"Highways England are also not considering how traffic would migrate between the two crossings when there are incidents, if LTC goes ahead, and that there are not adequate connections.
"We are concerned that the extra traffic that the London Resort would generate on top of these issues that the LTC would create would create serious congestion, chaos, and pollution throughout the whole area.
"In addition we do not feel that London Resort has given proper consideration to the recent addition of their parking facility north of the river."
In 2020 it was decided that 25 per cent of car passengers should travel via a park and glide ferry service between Tilbury in Thurrock and Kent to relieve road and rail networks.
Road traffic modelling suggested that the ‘Asda’ Roundabout at the junction between the A1089 St Andrews Road / Dock Road, Windrush Road and Thurrock Park Way should be included in the Essex Project Site to accommodate potential highway improvements.
The action group added:
"If the LTC goes ahead changes would be made to the way the A1089 connects to the existing road network, and access from the LTC to the A1089 would involve a long diversion.
"Traffic would need to leave the LTC eastbound on the A13, down to the Stanford Junction and up around the already busy traffic lighted roundabout (alongside DPWorld and other traffic), then back westbound on the A13 to the new joint LTC/A1089 south junction.
"This means that any traffic trying to access the London Resort parking in Tilbury would need to take this detour, adding more traffic to local roads."
While backing the plans in principle Basildon Borough Council urged some caution.
The council said:
"The fact that such ‘globally recognised’ theme parks do not presently exist in the UK – with a population of almost 67 million people – may be indicative of a general overall lack of demand.
"This does not appear to have been contemplated by the developers, but parks such as the American Adventure in Derbyshire also failed despite being hugely popular during the first half of its existence from 1986-2007."
If planning is approved work could start in 2022.