In December the Regeneration, Transport & Culture Scrutiny Panel of Greenwich Council called for construction of the Silvertown Road Tunnel to be paused pending a review taking into account the climate emergency and the borough’s plans to be carbon neutral. What assistance will you and Transport for London (TfL) be able to provide for such a review?

Transport for London (TfL) and I would be happy to provide any reasonable information to the Royal Borough of Greenwich (RBG) in respect of the Silvertown Tunnel scheme. Much of TfL’s information about the scheme is already in the public domain. TfL has made clear commitments to transparency in its continued delivery, and indeed TfL officers attended this scrutiny panel to provide information and answer any questions from panel members and members of the public.

I would note that this scrutiny panel has made a recommendation only, and the position of RBG has not changed. TfL is now over two years into the main construction contract, with major works underway on site; there is no intention of pausing the scheme. The Silvertown Tunnel is vital to supporting sustainable development in east London by finally addressing the chronic issues of congestion, poor reliability, and a lack of resilience at the Blackwall Tunnel and the need for much improved cross-river bus connectivity.