The government has proposed creating a permanent lorry park adjacent to the M20 at Stanford in Kent.
The proposal, which is currently out for consultation, would aim to ease problems associated with the Operation Stack protocol at Dover. The idea is that one of two proposed sites at Sanford could be used as an emergency facility when there are delays at the Port of Dover or the Eurotunnel terminal.
As well as offering respite to truckers, the park could accommodate the Dover TAP, a system that avoids lorries queueing through the town when the Port of Dover is full. Up to 3,600 trucks would be able to park at the new site.
Chancellor George Osborne announced £250 million of funding for a solution to Operation Stack in the Autumn Statement. Kent drivers faced regular misery this summer, with the M20 closed for 28 days during disruptions to Channel crossings.
The government's proposal was welcomed by the Freight Transport Association, whose head of policy for London and the south east, Natalie Chapman, said: 'Kent desperately needsovernight facilities for lorry driversto reduce the problem of trucksparkingin villages and residential areas. We would urge Highways England toact quickly andconsider providing a day-to-day facility for drivers that can also be usedin emergenciesinstead of the Dover TAPand Operation Stack.
“Being stuck on the motorway in a slow-moving queue plays havoc with drivers’ hours and rest breaks so a dedicated waiting area is vital, but it’s also important that the lorries canbe moved in and out of the lorry park toaccess the port and Eurotunnel when spaces are available so that ferries and trains are filled to capacity.”
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