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| Source: Highways England What's the deal with Dartford Traffic? Just ask anybody from Dartford and they will have plenty to say on the matter! Routinely the M25 experiences traffic delays which can be exacerbated by trouble on the A2 snarling up road junctions in the surrounding areas. Before long local roads inevitably back up and the whole of Dartford routinely grinds to a stand still, a hostage to the traffic. Fun fact (ready irony here), the detrimental impact to local air quality is significant 'For much of a typical day in many areas close to the crossing does not meet current air quality standards.' The proposed solution is to build a Lower Thames Crossing to release pressure on Dartford/Thurrock crossing point. The road will be 23km long including a 4km twin tunnel. It will be the second longest road in the country connecting Gravesham, Kent with Turrock. The project is expected to be completed in 2027. Traffic capacity will increase across the Thames from 4 lanes in each direction to 7. It is estimated to create 6,000 jobs and £8bn of economic benefits. This calls into question the impact on local roads where the crossing is being built. Will they experience the same problems that Dartford residents do now? For the people of Dartford however this is potentially going to have a massive impact on quality of life. Understandably many of those directly affected by the crossing are fighting strongly against it. If understood correctly they have some of the following concerns: -an increase in local air and noise pollution -extra traffic -development on greenbelt land -the new crossing will simply not be enough to eleviate congestion problems. |
Wat Tyler or Walter Tyler was the leader of the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. This was a protest against the poll tax of the time and a push for social reform and greater equality. As a result of the revolt Wat Tyler became a local hero. There is a pub in Dartford named after him where it is suggested he spent time. The Peasants' Revolt began 35 years after the Black Death had decimated Europe resulting in labour shortages. Peasants realised that there was a shortage of people to work the land and wanted better pay and conditions. The government passed a law to stop wage rises and to make matters worse a poll tax was introduced to support the war with France. Three times in four years the tax was demanded so that everybody over the age of 15 irrespective of their earnings had to pay 4 pence. This disproportionately affected the poor and peasants encouraged by the teaching of John Ball a radical priest were led to take action. When a tax collector arrived in a...
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