Community update - March 2021
Published
17 Mar 2021
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Welcome to the March 2021 edition of our community video newsletter – a short film to keep you updated with our activities and let you know our plans for the future.
In this edition we give you an update about our planning application, our current apprenticeship opportunities and our ongoing survey works, as well as tell you about our plans to build the team who will deliver the crossing and how they will work with local businesses.
Thanks for taking the time to watch.
Click above to watch the video on our YouTube channel and read more below.
An update on our planning application
For those of you that have been following the progress of the Lower Thames Crossing, you’ll be aware that we initially submitted our planning application back in October which we withdrew following feedback from the Planning Inspectorate.
We’re working hard to resubmit our revised planning application as soon as we can.
The Lower Thames Crossing to support 22,000 jobs during construction plus opportunities for apprentices
While the crossing will add billions to the UK economy once opened, it will also help our economic recovery by supporting 10,000 jobs during the peak of construction - that’s over 22,000 jobs over the lifetime of the project.
We are also committed to creating hundreds of opportunities for apprentices, graduates and trainees!
Survey works continuing along the proposed route
Elsewhere along the proposed route our survey works such as Utility Trial Trenching have been continuing. These surveys help us plan any utility diversions that would be required to build the Crossing.
Building our team and tenders begin to construct the longest road tunnel in Britain
Highways England has a track record of delivering large road infrastructure projects on time and on budget, and we are strengthening our team by bringing in expertise from across the industry.
We’ve already started the search for a partner to build the longest road tunnel in Britain. Last month we announced that Jacobs has been awarded the Integration Partner contract. Our aim is to realise the benefits of the project as soon as possible and give the best possible value to the taxpayer, and the Integration Partner will help us collaborate with all our partners to deliver the project on time and on budget.
In the coming weeks we will also begin our search for partners for the Kent Roads and Roads North contracts – to build the new routes north and south of the river.
Updates on our SME Directory and our Supply Chain School
We've been told that small businesses can find it hard to get a foot in the door with big contractors, so one way we are helping is to create an online directory that local businesses can register their details on. We will then give this to our main work contractors, so they can build a local supply chain.
We also continue to offer free training in partnership with the Supply Chain Sustainability School, where you’ll have access to a whole host of resources that’ll help upskill your business
