More detailed plans have come to light for the two Lower Thames Crossing route options in Gravesham. In a series of special reports, chief reporter Lizzie Massey spoke to people directly affected by the Thong Lane proposal.

For all his 88 years, Peter Beech has lived in the same country house and throughout his adult life farmed the land like his father and grandfather before him.

Now he and wife Doreen, 84, are faced with the prospect of a huge road within 100 metres of their home, cutting through their beloved landscape and quiet sanctuary.

A tunnel to the east of Gravesham was exclusively revealed by the Messenger last week
to be the preferred Lower Thames Crossing by Highways England.

Option A – another crossing at Dartford – looks to have been put on the back burner.

The eight-week public consultation has started with plans outlined for Option C only, a bored tunnel and surrounding road network.

Depending on which option is chosen, it could cost between £4.3 billion and £5.9bn.

A new road must be built to the east of Gravesend meeting up with the A226.

The debate is whether it goes up from the A2 at Thong Lane hugging the edge of Gravesend, or across from junction 1 of the M2, and go northwest around Shorne.

Mr and Mrs Beech live along Thong Lane, almost in the path of the planned new road.

At the moment, the pair look out over open fields and woodland, but that could all change.

Mrs Beech said: “Peter has lived in this house since he was six weeks old, and I have during the 63 years we’ve been married.

“We are saturated by development in this part of the country, it’s too much, and we don’t want any more.

“ England’s green and pleasant land? For God’s sake, there won’t be anything left of it soon. All people are seeing is pound signs.

“Whatever happens, I don’t suppose we’ll be around to see it, but we will have to live with building works and it will certainly put the value of the house down.

“It just such a shame for the area and the others living here.”

At one time Mr Beech farmed more than a 100 acres in the area, back towards Gravesend and up to Chalk.

He said: “There’s a gas main and tunnels around here.

“A much more sensible option would be to extend what we’ve already got and not wreak so much havoc on the landscape.

“They could extend the Wainscott Bypass, and have a road going from the Chattenden direction to the north of Higham, as the Channel Tunnel rail link (HS1 service) already does.”

How will the proposed route affect businesses in the area?

Peter and Andrew Baylis own and run family firm Baylis Landscaping Contractors after taking over from their father, and have been on Thong Lane since 1977.

Andrew said: “We hadn’t been able to see the detailed plans because they’re a nightmare to find.

“We’ve had a letter from Highways England saying we could be affected by the proposals, but that’s it.

“The option at Shorne would be much more environmentally damaging than this one.
“We’re not opposed to a crossing; Dartford is a nightmare and motorists do need another option.

“We do a lot of business in Essex, so it would actually be quite useful. But all the work while it’s being built could be a nightmare, and obviously they would need to provide us with a solution to our lost yard space.”

Peter added: “Having spent millions moving the A2 away from Gravesend, now they want to build a huge road right next to it. It doesn’t make much sense and you wonder what will happen with future houses.

“The fields around Thong Lane have been earmarked in Gravesham’s development plan for housing, but that won’t happen to such an extent if this is built.
“The reason they haven’t built here yet is the gas main, and the pylons, but they aren’t such an issue with a road.”

Next week will focus on the Shorne option.