A year ago today it was revealed where a new 13-mile route between Kent and Essex would be built.

Green campaigners from an organisation aimed at protecting Kent's countryside, CPRE Kent, say they are resigned to the fact it will happen.

The plans revealed the route would be built east of Gravesend, and run from the M25 near North Ockendon before crossing under the Thames east of Tilbury and Gravesend.

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A new link road will then take traffic to the A2 near Shorne, close to where the route becomes the M2.

Director at the group, Hilary Newport, said she thinks Option C will do little to relieve congestion in the area.

She added: "It was a disappointment that the government is intending to press on with this.

"We are just resigned to the fact now it is going to happen and we are happy to work alongside anybody to make it as least bad as we can.

"The point of an additional Lower Thames Crossing is to relieve the intolerable congestion and the air pollution that we are suffering at Dartford but it is obvious that this crossing is going to do diddly squat."

After the transport secretary announced the plan last April, a series of public consultations started which will lead to an application being submitted for a Development Consent Order next year.

This is expected to take a year to process, according to a website dedicated to the scheme.

Hilary added: "We are talking to all sorts [of people about the Lower Thames Crossing] and we have been fully engaged with the public.

"There are smarter and better ways of doing this and just packing more and more in to this congested area, I just do not think is the best way to do it.

"We should be focussing on better transport modes, getting freight off the roads and on to rail."

Another way Hilary said congestion could be lifted is by looking at other ports of entry for goods coming in the country, other than Dover.

She also added the group hopes residents would be "a little bit closer to a bit more certainty".

The project is estimated to cost between £4.4billion and £6.2billion.

Highways England projects director, Tim Jones, said: "There has been a substantial amount of work done to refine the route with extensive consultation.

"We have also had full approval from the Department for Transport to increase the width of the crossing from two lanes to three.

"Everyone acknowledges that the Dartford Crossing has got to a capacity that is untenable, the provision of a new crossing is going to relieve that substantially.

"We are very concious of environmental issues, air quality and operational areas and sensitive areas in Kent need to be dealt with very sensitively."

The scheme is due to be completed by 2027.