A122 Lower Thames Crossing Development Consent Order

Client: National Highways, Jacobs, Arcadis, COWI, TLT

Kent, Essex and Havering, London

The Lower Thames Crossing is one of the largest and most complex projects to navigate the Planning Act 2008 regime. It sets a new standard for infrastructure, combining innovation, sustainability, environmental leadership, and strong community engagement, supported by tools such as ward level consultation. Designed to be the UK’s greenest road, it secured development consent with no judicial review. The project also delivered DCO firsts, including legally binding carbon reduction commitments, a stakeholder commitments register, and flexibility for environmentally beneficial design changes. Its landscape scale design integrates green bridges, habitat creation, and sensitive routing to minimise community and ecological impacts.