DfT urged to sanction ‘emergency review’ of Silvertown Tunnel

In a letter to Shapps and Khan, the group of 52 academics and campaigners have called for an “emergency review” to be carried out to determine if the East London project is in line with the UK’s climate change objectives. (See below for full list of signatories.)

The group of objectors cite the government’s recent decision to intervene in the Cumbria coal mine planning row – as well as the upcoming COP26 conference – as grounds for carrying out an inquiry into the Silvertown Tunnel scheme.

The 1.4km twin bored Silvertown Tunnel is set to be completed in 2025 and will connect south London with the Tidal Basin Roundabout in Silvertown, in a bid to relieve congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel.

The project was granted planning permission in 2017 via The Planning Inspectorate development consent order (DCO) process.

Since then the UK has committed to significantly reducing its carbon emissions – including new goals set out just this week. Under its revised targets the UK aims to reduce its emissions by 78% by 2035.

In the letter, the group of signatories argues that a review should now be undertaken to determine if the grounds for which the application was approved in 2017 are still applicable today.

They argue that the DCO approved in 2017 is no longer “an adequate basis on which to press ahead with the Silvertown project” and that “it risks […] undermining the UK’s efforts to address climate change”.

“Since the DCO was issued, the UK parliament and the Greater London Authority are among the many bodies internationally to have declared that we are in a climate emergency,” the letter states.

“As a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, long-term transport projections have changed. In these circumstances, it would be foolhardy to press ahead with an infrastructure project that can only contribute to the UK’s excessive greenhouse gas emissions – as well as skewing London’s transport system further towards roads, and exacerbating local air pollution problems.”

It adds: “We, the undersigned, urge Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, and Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, to take emergency action to put in place a review of the Silvertown Tunnel project.

“This could take the form of a cancellation of the Development Consent Order, or a decision to freeze work on the project while an inquiry is conducted.”

Work on the scheme continues to gather pace. Papers released ahead of TfL’s board meeting in March reveal that “construction of the launch chamber has begun, with more than 15 per cent of the total number of piles required for the work now in place”.

Tunnelling is expected to get underway by the end of the year, with a construction completion date of 2025.

The Riverlinx consortium of Ferrovial subsidiary Cintra, Bam PPP PGGM, Macquarie Capital and SK E&C was officially awarded the contract in November 2019, following months of legal wrangling between TfL and losing bidder Silver Thames Connect (STC).

Under the PPP contract terms, Riverlinx will raise the finance to build and operate the tunnel. It will be repaid when milestones are hit.

In a letter sent to a resident in February - and published on twitter - Riverlinx explained that it is "doing all we can to reduce construction emissions".

It adds: "For example, all vehicles working on the construction project meet Euro VI standard and we have recently adopted a Stage IV or better policy for Non-Road-Mobile Machinery (NRMM) across the project).

"This means that they meet the requirements of the GLA’s NRMM Low Emission Zone for the Central Activities Centre, despite the site being outside this area and so only required to meet lower (Stage IIIB) standards.

“We have installed dedicated access to mains electricity for the Silvertown site thereby eliminating a number of generators from site; and are trialling hydrogen fuel powered tower lights to consider wider adoption. We are also exploring the use of low carbon material options throughout the design of the scheme.”

Last month, auditor EY ruled that TfL’s Silvertown Tunnel plan is the best option available to alleviate congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel.

EY’s draft report into the project, released ahead of TfL’s audit and assurance committee meeting, supports TfL’s conclusion that the project is the best option available when compared to alternatives suggested by opposition groups.

A London Labour spokesperson added: “Sadiq is doing everything in his power to address the climate emergency we are facing. He’s been clear that our recovery after Covid must be a green one and has a clear plan to tackle climate change and improve air quality.

“Tackling congestion is an important part of cleaning up our air. The new Silvertown Tunnel will radically improve traffic conditions, effectively eliminating the current congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel that causes some of the worst air pollution in London."

Signatories on letter:

• Professor Joanna Haigh, Distinguished Research Fellow, Imperial College London; former co-director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and Environment
• Kevin Anderson, Professor of Energy and Climate Change, Tyndall Centre, School of Engineering, University of Manchester
• Dr Jaise Kuriakose, Lecturer in Energy and Climate Change, University of Manchester
• Julia Steinberger, Professor of Social Ecology and Ecological Economics, University of Leeds
• Dr Rachel Aldred, Professor in Transport, Director of the Active Travel Academy, Westminster University
• Professor John Whitelegg, Fellow in Transport and Climate Change, Foundation for Integrated Transport
• Professor Tim Jackson, Director, Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable
• Prosperity, University of Surrey
• Professor Matthew Paterson, Research Director, Sustainable Consumption Institute, University of Manchester
• Dr Ian Mudway, Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Toxicology, Environmental Research Group, Imperial College London
• Dr Lucy Baker, Senior Research Fellow, University of Sussex
• Dr Andrew Baldwin, Associate Professor in Human Geography, Department of Geography, University of Durham
• Terence Bendixson, President Emeritus, Living Streets
• Dr Joe Blakey, Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Manchester
• Dr Andrew Boswell, Independent Scientist, Activist and Consultant, Climate Emergency Planning and Policy
• Professor Stefan Bouzarovski, Professor of Human Geography, University of Manchester
• Dr Lesley Catchpowle, critical and social researcher of accounting and organisations, University of Greenwich
• Gareth Dale, Senior Lecturer in politics, Brunel University
• Dr Adrian Davis, Professor of Transport and Health and Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health, Edinburgh Napier University
• Patrick Devine, Honorary Research Fellow (Social Science), University of Manchester
• James Evans, Professor of Geography, University of Manchester
• David Hall, Visiting Professor, Public Services International Research Unit, University of Greenwich
• Alastair Hanton, Honorary Secretary, Foundation for Integrated Transport, and former Chair, Living Streets
• Dr Jane Hindley, Lecturer, Interdisciplinary Studies Centre, School of Philosophy and Art History, University of Essex
• Lisa Hopkinson, Environmental Researcher of Sustainable Transport and Trustee, Foundation for Integrated Transport
• Dr Marc Hudson, researcher of social movements
• Dr Neil Jennings, Partnership Development Manager, Grantham Institute, Imperial College London
• Dario Kenner, author of Carbon Inequality: the role of the richest in climate change (Routledge, 2019)
• Rebecca Lush, Trustee, Foundation for Integrated Transport
• Professor Graeme Macdonald, University of Warwick; Researcher, Climaginaries project and Low Carbon Scotland
• Dr Martin Mahony, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia
• James Marriott, artist and activist at Platform; associate researcher, University of Durham; co-author of The Oil Road (Verso Books, 2012) and Crude Britannia (Pluto Press, 2021)
• Greg Muttitt, Senior Policy Advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development
• Dr Audrey de Nazelle, Senior Lecturer and co-Deputy Head, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London
• Michael Norton, Trustee, Foundation for Integrated Transport; social entrepreneur
• Dr Kerstin Oloff, Director, Centre for Culture and Ecology, University of Durham
• Dr Douglas Parr, Policy Director, Greenpeace UK
• Simon Pirani, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies; Honorary Professor, University of Durham
• Professor Clive A Potter, Professor of Environmental Policy, Imperial College London
• Rupert Read, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia
• Eric Schoenrock, MSc, postgraduate researcher of atmospheric physics, Imperial College London
• Tom Sinclair, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Oxford
• Dr Pritam Singh, Professor Emeritus (Economics), Oxford Brookes University
• Peter Somerville, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, University of Lincoln
• Kate Soper, Emerita Professor of Philosophy, London Metropolitan University
• Chris Todd, Director, Transport Action Network
• Dr Scott Urban, Lecturer in Economics, Hertford College, University of Oxford
• Dr Ans Vercammen, Research Fellow, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London
• Dr Judith Watson (retired), Brighton University
• Chris Wells, MSc, postgraduate researcher of atmospheric physics, Imperial College London
• Christian Wolmar, writer and broadcaster on transport; shortlisted to be Labour's candidate for London mayor 2016 election
• Andrew Wood, Co-ordinator of Network for Clean Ai

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