News from Caroline Russell: Government puts brakes on toxic tunnel backed by the Mayor

The Mayor’s plan for a giant urban motorway under the Thames in east London was dealt a blow by the Government today.

Instead of approving the Mayor’s plan for the Silvertown Tunnel, Chris Grayling’s team will spend more time considering whether the scheme could bust the UK’s new commitment to tackling road pollution.

Caroline Russell has consistently called on the Mayor to withdraw his backing for the plans. [1] [2]

Caroline Russell, Green Party Member of the London Assembly, said:

“The Mayor’s toxic tunnel would blow the UK’s cleaner air plans out of the water in east London, people there already suffer from living in one of the most polluted parts of London.

I have been urging Sadiq Khan to bin the plans for this backwards-looking project and instead invest in cycling, walking and public transport river crossings. [3] He has a great vision for healthy streets, but this scheme is totally at odds with that vision.



The Mayor has consistently portrayed his stance on air pollution as more ambitious than the Government’s position but the boot is on the other foot this time.



Delaying the decision on the Silvertown Tunnel shows just how worried the Government is about this scheme. It is clearly incompatible with the Government’s legal obligation to reduce nitrogen dioxide (N02) levels to safe limits in the shortest time possible.



The scheme must be rejected.