Protesters against the Silvertown Tunnel have said the plans are “all pain no gain” for communities on either side of the project.

A six-month public examination and inquiry into the proposals for a tunnel between the Greenwich Peninsula and Silvertown ended on Tuesday, April 11.

The Secretary of State now has three months to decide whether to grant the application, which TFL say will cut down on traffic at the Blackwall Tunnel and provide cross-river bus links in East London.

However protesters say the evidence heard during the inquiry has “done nothing to dispel the many objections” they have, including increased traffic and pollution.

Bridget Fox, sustainable transport campaigner at campaign for better transport, said: “Building new roads is a failed solution to the capital's transport challenges.

“The proposed £1bn Tunnel budget could be much better spent on improved public transport, walking and cycling links to cut traffic, clean up the air and reconnect communities.

“We hope that the inspectors will reject the plans. Whatever their judgement, Mayor Khan is free to drop this inherited project and redirect resources to better options for London.”

TFL say the tunnel include user-charging to manage demand and fund the tunnel’s maintenance, as well as create opportunities for new jobs in the local area, help local employers to access new markets and reduce the environmental impact of traffic congestion.

If the plans go ahead, construction would begin in 2018 with the tunnel opening from traffic in 2022/23.