when the first dartford toll tunnel was built, the rate payers of essx and kent had to pay extra to pay for the building of the tunnel in theory the tunnel belonged to to essex and kent rate payers,
somehow the tunnel was privatised .
i have a recollection that mrs thatchers husband was a director of a firm that got the contract to build the bridge and or the second tunnel, the toll tunnel is now owned by a private company, even though the first tunnel was partly financed by the rate payers of thurrock.