Carbon assessment of Lower Thames Crossing for 60 year appraisal
Dear Highways England Company Limited,
Many thanks for supplying me with the Appraisal Summary Table (AST) for the Lower Thames Crossing on 30 March. The AST gave the 60 year total for the increase in carbon emissions as 5,979,862 tonnes.
Please can you send me all the appraisal for assessing the carbon impact of the Lower Thames Crossing scheme during the 60 year appraisal period. I would like to know the net increase of carbon emissions during the construction period and the 60 year operation (emissions caused by users) of the scheme compared to 'do minimum'.
I would like to know the increase in carbon emissions for each year of the scheme's 60 year appraisal period, and I would like to know the total net increase in carbon emissions during this 60 year appraisal period compared to 'do minimum'.
I cannot find this information in the PEIR for this scheme and do not believe it is publicly available.
It is important that the full carbon impact of this scheme year-by-year is known and understood and in the public domain.
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Lush
This is an automated response:
Thank you for your email to Highways England.
If you’re reporting a real time issue which requires immediate attention
please call the Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000.
A map of the roads for which we are responsible can be found here
[1]https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk....
If the road you’re interested in isn’t on this map it will fall under the
jurisdiction of the local authority. You can find details of local
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6. mailto:[Highways England request email]
Dear Ms Lush
Please find attached our response to your recent request for information,
as submitted on 23 July 2020.
Kind regards
Tosin Adekunle, Correspondence Officer
Highways England | Woodlands | Manton Lane | Bedford | MK41 7LW
Web: [1]http://www.highways.gov.uk
From: Rebecca Lush [mailto:[FOI #679347 email]]
Sent: 23 July 2020 14:30
To: [Highways England request email]; CCC <[Highways England request email]>; Highways
England <[Highways England request email]>; Main Inbox
<[Highways England request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Carbon assessment of Lower
Thames Crossing for 60 year appraisal
Dear Highways England Company Limited,
Many thanks for supplying me with the Appraisal Summary Table (AST) for
the Lower Thames Crossing on 30 March. The AST gave the 60 year total for
the increase in carbon emissions as 5,979,862 tonnes.
Please can you send me all the appraisal for assessing the carbon impact
of the Lower Thames Crossing scheme during the 60 year appraisal period. I
would like to know the net increase of carbon emissions during the
construction period and the 60 year operation (emissions caused by users)
of the scheme compared to 'do minimum'.
I would like to know the increase in carbon emissions for each year of the
scheme's 60 year appraisal period, and I would like to know the total net
increase in carbon emissions during this 60 year appraisal period compared
to 'do minimum'.
I cannot find this information in the PEIR for this scheme and do not
believe it is publicly available.
It is important that the full carbon impact of this scheme year-by-year is
known and understood and in the public domain.
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Lush
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Dear Highways England Company Limited,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Highways England Company Limited's handling of my EIR request 'Carbon assessment of Lower Thames Crossing for 60 year appraisal'.
The Appraisal Summary Table (AST) dated 22 January 2016 - which was released to me on 30 March 2020 - gave a very precise total of estimated carbon caused by the Lower Thames Gateway of 5,996,645 tonnes (5,979,862 tonnes of traded carbon and 16,783 tonnes of non-traded carbon).
I would like to know how Highways England came up with these figures, so please send me any documents that show how these carbon figures in the 2016 AST were calculated. I would like to make clear that I am also requesting any documents that show calculations of carbon caused by the construction of the Lower Thames Crossing scheme.
I believe this information exists - otherwise how could the very precise figures of 5,979,862 and 16,783 tonnes of carbon have been created? - so the Regulation 12(4)(a) exemption (EIRs) does not apply. It is in the public interest to release these figures as there is considerable public interest in tackling climate change, as recognised by the Secretary of State for Transport.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Lush
This is an automated response:
Thank you for your email to Highways England.
If you’re reporting a real time issue which requires immediate attention
please call the Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000.
A map of the roads for which we are responsible can be found here
[1]https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk....
If the road you’re interested in isn’t on this map it will fall under the
jurisdiction of the local authority. You can find details of local
authorities using the search facility on the gov.uk website at:
[2]https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council
If your email does relate to an issue on Highways England's network it
will be passed to the relevant team within Highways England and they will
respond to you within a maximum of 15 working days.
For more information on how we use your data please check our privacy
notice at: [3]https://www.highwaysengland.co.uk/privacy
If you’ve made a request under the Freedom of Information Act we will
respond to you within a maximum of 20 working days. Your request will be
dealt with in line with government guidelines:
[4]https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-inf...
Please be advised that emails may be monitored for training and quality
assurance purposes.
Kind regards
Highways England Customer Contact Centre
This email may contain information which is confidential and is intended
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recipient, you are hereby notified that any copying, distribution,
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strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and destroy it.
Highways England Company Limited | General enquiries: 0300 123 5000
|National Traffic Operations Centre, 3 Ridgeway, Quinton Business Park,
Birmingham B32 1AF |
[5]https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati... |
[6][Highways England request email]
Registered in England and Wales no 9346363 | Registered Office: Bridge
House, 1 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4LZ
Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really
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References
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6. mailto:[Highways England request email]
Dear Highways England Company Limited,
When will I be receiving a response to my request for an internal review of the claim that the information I requested does not exist?
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Lush
This is an automated response:
Thank you for your email to Highways England.
If you’re reporting a real time issue which requires immediate attention
please call the Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000.
A map of the roads for which we are responsible can be found here
[1]https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk....
If the road you’re interested in isn’t on this map it will fall under the
jurisdiction of the local authority. You can find details of local
authorities using the search facility on the gov.uk website at:
[2]https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council
If your email does relate to an issue on Highways England's network it
will be passed to the relevant team within Highways England and they will
respond to you within a maximum of 15 working days.
For more information on how we use your data please check our privacy
notice at: [3]https://www.highwaysengland.co.uk/privacy
If you’ve made a request under the Freedom of Information Act we will
respond to you within a maximum of 20 working days. Your request will be
dealt with in line with government guidelines:
[4]https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-inf...
Please be advised that emails may be monitored for training and quality
assurance purposes.
Kind regards
Highways England Customer Contact Centre
This email may contain information which is confidential and is intended
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Highways England Company Limited | General enquiries: 0300 123 5000
|National Traffic Operations Centre, 3 Ridgeway, Quinton Business Park,
Birmingham B32 1AF |
[5]https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati... |
[6][Highways England request email]
Registered in England and Wales no 9346363 | Registered Office: Bridge
House, 1 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4LZ
Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really
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6. mailto:[Highways England request email]
Dear Ms Lush,
Thank you for your e-mail.
I can confirm that the initial 20 working day deadline for completing an
internal review is up today, 21 September 2020. Unfortunately, due to
annual leave and some IT problems I have been unable to complete the
review in this time which I do apologise for. The IT issues have been
rectified now however, and as such I hope to have completed and provided
the internal review for this request on or before this coming Friday, 25
September 2020.
Please note that the legislation does allow 40 working days for an
internal review where it has not been possible to complete it within 20
working days.
Again please accept my apologies for the delay in providing this review
and for any inconvenience it may have caused.
Kind Regards
Jonathan Drysdale
Freedom of Information Officer (HE)
Information & Technology
Highways England | Piccadilly Gate | Store Street | Manchester | M1 2WD
Web: [1]http://highwaysengland.co.uk
From: Rebecca Lush <[FOI #679347 email]>
Sent: 21 September 2020 09:52
To: [Highways England request email]; CCC <[Highways England request email]>; Highways
England <[Highways England request email]>; Main Inbox
<[Highways England request email]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Carbon
assessment of Lower Thames Crossing for 60 year appraisal
Dear Highways England Company Limited,
When will I be receiving a response to my request for an internal review
of the claim that the information I requested does not exist?
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Lush
Dear Ms Lush,
Please find attached the internal review ref. IR 101286 of your request
ref. EIR 101286.
Kind Regards
Jonathan Drysdale
Freedom of Information Officer (HE)
Information & Technology
Highways England | Piccadilly Gate | Store Street | Manchester | M1 2WD
Web: [1]http://highwaysengland.co.uk
This email may contain information which is confidential and is intended
only for use of the recipient/s named above. If you are not an intended
recipient, you are hereby notified that any copying, distribution,
disclosure, reliance upon or other use of the contents of this email is
strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and destroy it.
Highways England Company Limited | General enquiries: 0300 123 5000
|National Traffic Operations Centre, 3 Ridgeway, Quinton Business Park,
Birmingham B32 1AF |
[2]https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati... |
[3][Highways England request email]
Registered in England and Wales no 9346363 | Registered Office: Bridge
House, 1 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4LZ
Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really
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References
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3. mailto:[Highways England request email]
Dear Jonathan
Many thanks for your response and for sending over the TUBA output tables. These give the operation/user carbon assessments. However, I was not sent the assessment for the carbon emissions caused by construction of the Lower Thames Crossing, as per my original request.
Please could you send over any information Highways England hold on the carbon emissions caused by the construction of the LTC, as per my original request?
Many thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Rebecca Lush
Dear Ms Lush,
Thank you for your e-mail of 9 October 2020.
I have now confirmed with the project team that Highways England does not hold the assessment for the carbon emissions caused by construction of the Lower Thames Crossing. They explained that at the early stages of the route selection we don’t have sufficient data to calculate the emissions. For example there aren't enough details about how it will be built and these details are required for calculations.
Therefore the information requested here falls under Regulation 12(4)(a) of the Environmental Information Regulations. Please accept my apologies that this was missed from the original internal review.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this review you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Kind Regards
Jonathan Drysdale
Freedom of Information Officer (HE)
Information & Technology
Highways England | Piccadilly Gate | Store Street | Manchester | M1 2WD
Web: http://highwaysengland.co.uk
Dear Highways England Company Limited,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Highways England Company Limited's handling of my FOI request 'Carbon assessment of Lower Thames Crossing for 60 year appraisal'.
In your reply you state that Highways England does not hold any information about the carbon emissions resulting from construction of the Lower Thames Crossing, and therefore use Regulation 12(4)(a) of the Environmental Information Regulations.
An application for Development Consent Order (DCO) has just been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS): https://infrastructure.planninginspector...
A requirement of a DCO application is a full Environmental Statement (ES) which will include a full chapter on climate change which will detail the carbon emissions resulting from the construction of the scheme, and from the operation of the scheme.
The amount of carbon caused by the construction of the Lower Thames Crossing will be in this document. I therefore do not accept the exemption used by Highways England in its last response that you do not hold this information (Regulation 12(4)(a) of the Environmental Information Regulations). It is not credible that Highways England do not not have an assessment of the carbon emissions resulting in the construction of this scheme. Please can you check again as soon as possible.
It is very much in the public interest for this information to be released as soon as possible as climate change is a critically important issue, as evidenced by Parliament declaring a Climate Emergency. The Lower Thames Crossing has been described as the largest road project since the construction of the M25. The carbon emissions from the construction of this scheme are likely to be very significant.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Lush
This is an automated response:
Thank you for your email to Highways England.
If you’re reporting a real time issue which requires immediate attention
please call the Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000.
A map of the roads for which we are responsible can be found here
[1]https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk....
If the road you’re interested in isn’t on this map it will fall under the
jurisdiction of the local authority. You can find details of local
authorities using the search facility on the gov.uk website at:
[2]https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council
If your email does relate to an issue on Highways England's network it
will be passed to the relevant team within Highways England and they will
respond to you within a maximum of 15 working days.
For more information on how we use your data please check our privacy
notice at: [3]https://www.highwaysengland.co.uk/privacy
If you’ve made a request under the Freedom of Information Act we will
respond to you within a maximum of 20 working days. Your request will be
dealt with in line with government guidelines:
[4]https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-inf...
Please be advised that emails may be monitored for training and quality
assurance purposes.
Kind regards
Highways England Customer Contact Centre
This email may contain information which is confidential and is intended
only for use of the recipient/s named above. If you are not an intended
recipient, you are hereby notified that any copying, distribution,
disclosure, reliance upon or other use of the contents of this email is
strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and destroy it.
Highways England Company Limited | General enquiries: 0300 123 5000
|National Traffic Operations Centre, 3 Ridgeway, Quinton Business Park,
Birmingham B32 1AF |
[5]https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati... |
[6][Highways England request email]
Registered in England and Wales no 9346363 | Registered Office: Bridge
House, 1 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4LZ
Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really
need to.
References
Visible links
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2. https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council
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4. https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-inf...
5. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati...
6. mailto:[Highways England request email]
Dear Ms Lush,
Thank you for your e-mail of 5 November 2020.
I can confirm that the response provided to your request - Carbon
assessment of Lower Thames Crossing for 60 year appraisal using Regulation
12(4)(a) information not held, was correct. The reason for this is that at
the time of your request on 23 July 2020 the assessment for the current
design, the one that has been recently submitted for a Development Consent
Order (DCO), had not occurred. This was explained in my original review IR
101286, attached.
To explain further a request for information can only consider what
information is held at the time of the request and because, as noted
above, the assessment had not taken place at the time of your request in
July, the information was not held and as such could not be provided. I am
therefore satisfied that your request was handled correctly.
However, and as you have indicated in your e-mail the submission for a DCO
indicates that the information is held, and your summary of this is
correct, I can confirm that the information is now held. Therefore, under
our commitment to wider transparency please find attached the information
requested.
As well as the attached document, the Lower Thames Crossing team have also
provided some additional context to the information which I have included
below for your records and reference purposes.
1. Construction phase carbon emissions estimated at 2 million tonnes.
2. The project would contribute:
1. 0.013% to UK’s third carbon budget of 2,544m tCO2e between 2018
and 2022
2. 0.089% of the UK’s fourth carbon budget of 1,950m tCO2e during
the period 2023 to 2027
3. 0.013% of the UK’s fifth carbon budget of 1,725m tCO2e between
2028 and 2032.
3. Estimate adheres to the highest standards and principles (PAS2080
Carbon Management in Infrastructure)
4. Reduction of construction phase carbon emissions measured against an
initial baseline, based on historic UK constructions performance.
5. Reduction achieved by optimising earthworks, low-carbon material
specification e.g. concrete, design refinement, use of renewable
energy and electric and hybrid construction plant.
6. Operational phase carbon emissions in first 60 years of road opening
estimated at 3.2 million tonnes.
7. Traffic emissions based on the Government’s prescribed traffic
modelling and analysis system (Transport Analysis Guidance system).
8. Total predicted carbon emissions estimated at 5.3 million tonnes, over
60 years of operation.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this review you have the
right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision.
The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Kind Regards
Jonathan Drysdale
Freedom of Information Officer (HE)
Information & Technology
Highways England | Piccadilly Gate | Store Street | Manchester | M1 2WD
Web: [1]http://highwaysengland.co.uk
From: Rebecca Lush [mailto:[FOI #679347 email]]
Sent: 05 November 2020 12:12
To: [Highways England request email]; CCC <[Highways England request email]>; Highways
England <[Highways England request email]>; Main Inbox
<[Highways England request email]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Carbon
assessment of Lower Thames Crossing for 60 year appraisal
Dear Highways England Company Limited,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information
reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Highways England Company
Limited's handling of my FOI request 'Carbon assessment of Lower Thames
Crossing for 60 year appraisal'.
In your reply you state that Highways England does not hold any
information about the carbon emissions resulting from construction of the
Lower Thames Crossing, and therefore use Regulation 12(4)(a) of the
Environmental Information Regulations.
An application for Development Consent Order (DCO) has just been submitted
to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS):
[2]https://infrastructure.planninginspector...
A requirement of a DCO application is a full Environmental Statement (ES)
which will include a full chapter on climate change which will detail the
carbon emissions resulting from the construction of the scheme, and from
the operation of the scheme.
The amount of carbon caused by the construction of the Lower Thames
Crossing will be in this document. I therefore do not accept the exemption
used by Highways England in its last response that you do not hold this
information (Regulation 12(4)(a) of the Environmental Information
Regulations). It is not credible that Highways England do not not have an
assessment of the carbon emissions resulting in the construction of this
scheme. Please can you check again as soon as possible.
It is very much in the public interest for this information to be released
as soon as possible as climate change is a critically important issue, as
evidenced by Parliament declaring a Climate Emergency. The Lower Thames
Crossing has been described as the largest road project since the
construction of the M25. The carbon emissions from the construction of
this scheme are likely to be very significant.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[3]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Lush
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[4][FOI #679347 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[5]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[6]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
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