New plans have been outlined for the Lower Thames Crossing - including changes to tackle its environmental impact and suggestions for how to charge commuters.

Gravesham council discussed the crossing at a meeting last week, outlining 14 revised recommendations for the project to take back to Highways England.

This coincided with the end of a public consultation for the £6.8 billion project, which could help remove 14 million vehicles from the Dartford Crossing annually.

The road will link Kent to Essex and is set to be built east of Gravesend by 2027.

The council says the environmental impact of the crossing on the A2 is “unacceptable” and “further detailed work is required if an acceptable solution is to be produced”.

This would need to address the design speed of the junction slip roads, width of Thong Lane South and Brewers Road bridges and the impact conservation landscapes.

It was also suggested the Thong Lane Bridge be extended southwards and widened to a “minimum of 80m”.

Also needed would be work to protect residents of Riverview Park and Thong from the impact of noise, disturbance and air quality.

Councillors were unable to provide a definitive view on how much motorists should be charged for using the crossing.

But they felt they should be similar to the Dartford Crossing, including discount for Gravesend residents.

The local authority also wants a portion of revenues collected from tolls to be paid to a community fund.

A “considerable concern” over the impact of the project to highways in Kent, including the A227, A228, A229 and M2, as well as implications for local residents, was also mentioned.

The council was particularly concerned over the absence of an evaluation of the Bluebell Hill A229 junction and described the suggestion to use the A249 as an alternative “completely unrealistic”.

It was also suggested residents, who will suffer “considerable disruption” given the long timescale of the project, should be given “adequate compensation”.