Kentish Express Ashford & District
Building starts ‘soon as possible’ after lorry park site confirmed
The government has confirmed that a huge lorry park off the M20 is to be built to deal with Operation Stack.
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said its preferred site would be at Stanford West and would hold 3,600 lorries.
The decision follows a lengthy consultation on two possible sites.
Building work is due to start “as soon as possible” with places available from 2017.
Mr McLoughlin said the park would be a long-term solution to the problems caused on the M20 and surrounding roads when Operation Stack is used.
It would help keep the M20 moving during disruption to cross- channel services, helping companies go about their business as normally as possible, he added.
Chancellor George Osborne has allocated £250m for a scheme which has divided opinion. Villagers in Stanford will be dismayed by the news but it is likely to be welcomed by hauliers and MPs.
The announcement comes after a critical report by the crossparty transport select committee which said the case for the park had not been proven.
Mr Osborne said: “We are taking bold action to deal with the severe inconvenience suffered by people living and working in Kent when cross-channel services are affected.”
He added: “A long-term solu- tion that will keep traffic moving has been talked about for decades, but now we are delivering it.”
Mr McLoughlin said: “Operation Stack is only ever used as a last resort but we recognise the impact it has on roads in Kent and are determined to deliver an alternative solution.
“The new lorry area by the M20 will improve journeys for drivers and will not only support the region’s economy but also businesses as far away as Scotland that rely on the M20 to access the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel.”
The government is also exploring using the site for overnight parking of lorries, relieving pressure caused by some drivers parking in unsuitable or illegal locations.
A Highways England consultation showed strong support for a permanent lorry area to reduce or remove the need to close the M20.
Nearly twice as many people thought it should be located at Stanford West rather than an alternative site to the north of junction 11.
New entry and exit slip roads will be built on the eastbound carriageway of the M20, providing direct access to the park.
Most people who took part in a consultation supported the idea of a lorry park with less than a quarter thinking Operation Stack should continue in its current form.
The next stage will involve consulting on the details and the environmental impact of the scheme. That consultation will open shortly.
Details on the lorry park plan are available at www.gov. uk/government/consultations/ management-of-freightvehicles-through-kent