Delivering a long term solution to the problems created by Operation
Stack remains one of the big infrastructure challenges facing our
area. Improved co-ordination between the Kent police, Highways Agency,
Channel Tunnel and Dover port, has meant we have avoided over the last
couple of years some of the chronic delays of the recent past.
However, we know that our roads remain vulnerable to the impact of
prolonged bad weather at sea or strike action. Earlier in the year I
organised a meeting in Folkestone which brought together all of the
key people and organisations that are involved in dealing with
Operation Stack to discuss how we could find the best possible
solution. On Tuesday this week, I attended a follow up meeting at the
Department for Transport in London to bring this to the attention of
senior Government advisors. One of the points I was keen to stress is
that we have to consider the cost of doing nothing. Failure to find a
long term solution is costing millions of pounds a year in police time
and lost working ours for the economy. There is no answer that doesn’t
cost money, somewhere or other.
At the meeting in Folkestone there was agreement that some off road
lorry parking is going to be required to keep the traffic moving when
Stack is enforced for a longer period. The ‘quick’ moveable barrier
would seem to be too slow, limited and expensive to use. Also greater
efficiencies at the Port or Tunnel would not be enough to deal with
the high volume of traffic if one or the other was closed. There has
been a big debate about where this parking should go and this is
something I want the Government to look at. Kent County Council
recommended a lorry park between Sellindge and Aldington four years
ago. I do not think that this would be right as it would be a
difficult and expensive place to put it. Even if an access slip road
straight off the motorway could be created, vehicles approaching the
port and tunnel would still have to cross the carriageways to reach it
to avoid disturbing the villages. I want the Department for Transport
to consider areas where lorry parking might be possible with lower
costs and less disturbance to local communities. This could include
more parking at the Port of Dover if space can be found, it could be
included into the design of a previously discussed new junction 10a on
the M20, and when a new Thames crossing is completed in North Kent we
will also need to plan for increased lorry traffic using the M2.
The question keeps coming back about how this is going to be paid for.
I have been pressing the Government to introduce a charging scheme so
that foreign lorries make a contribution to the upkeep of our roads,
and I hope they will shortly be able to announce how this could be
introduced. I believe money raised from this scheme should go towards
paying for relief measures for Operation Stack.