PLANS to deal with congestion at the Dartford Crossing need speeding up, according to a council leader.

Councillor John Kent, head of Thurrock Council, fears changes to Junctions 30 and 31 on the M25 are being put on hold until a consultation on building a third Thames crossing is launched later this year.

He said the notorious bottleneck needed action and investment now including the introduction of free-flowing tolling.

Cllr Kent said: “There has been much talk about improvements to Junction 30 in the debate around whether another river crossing is needed.

“I have been saying for around two-and-a-half years that the government needs to invest fully in junction improvements while others claim that’s going to happen anyway.

“Thurrock Council said it wants those improvements made now – along with the free-flow tolling at the crossing – because the congestion is already a problem for local businesses.”

Chancellor George Osborne has previously said work on a new crossing would start in 2015.

Thurrock’s Tory MP Jackie Doyle-Price said: “That is pretty swift work as far as Government is concerned.”

She added the Conservatives had done more to improve congestion in the area than Labour since coming to power in 2010.