Monday morning saw between 80 and 90 lorries make the 32km journey from Manston Airport near Ramsgate along the A256 to the Port of Dover as part of a trial of the Government’s ‘Operation Brock’ plan.

Brock is a contingency measure developed to ensure traffic flow can be maintained on the M20 in the event of disruption to cross channel ferry services post Brexit. The aim of this week’s practice run was to test how well the A256 copes with increased lorry traffic.

“We do not want or expect a no deal scenario and continue to work hard to deliver a deal with the EU,” said a Department for Transport spokesman. “However, it is the duty of a responsible Government to continue to prepare for all eventualities and contingencies, including a possible no deal.

“Any lessons learned from this trial and further mitigation measures will be considered carefully to ensure Operation Brock is fully functional if needed.”

A Kent County Council spokesman said: “Operation Brock has been designed to ensure that – unlike Operation Stack – the M20 will be kept open and traffic will continue to flow in both directions at times of cross Channel disruption.”

“This test sought to establish the safest optimum release rate of HGVs along the proposed route on the A256 to the Port of Dover, and how any impacts could be managed.”

But Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale told TP Weekly News that the trial was not extensive enough and did not replicate realistic conditions. “If we were going to have a meaningful trial it should have started from where freight vehicles leave the M20,” he explained, noting that the route to Manston presents challenges for large goods vehicles including a steep ascent at Detling Hill near Maidstone.

He added that the trial was originally expected to involve between 150 and 180 vehicles and said publicity surrounding the operation may have meant many members of the public simply avoided the A256, clearing the way for the lorries.

“What has not been made clear is the fact that a lot of the surrounding roads became clogged up with local traffic as a result of the trial taking place.”

Sir Roger also expressed fears that in the event of a no deal Brexit continental hauliers may stop bringing goods to Britain if disruption getting into and out of the country hits their profit margins. “That’s a much more real and frightening prospect than the traffic jams.”

Road Haulage Association chief executive Richard Burnett described the trial as “too little too late”. “This trial cannot possibly duplicate the reality of 6000 trucks that would be held at Manston airport in the event of a no deal Brexit, he said, adding: “This process should have been started nine months ago. At this late stage it looks like window dressing.”

Just east of Manston, dredging work has begun at the Port of Ramsgate on Kent’s east coast with a view to re-establishing freight ferry services to and from Ostend in Belgium.

Thanet District Council is in discussions with potential operator Seaborne Freight to run the service, which the council says could play a role in supporting post Brexit resilience by offering an alterative route for some cross Channel traffic.

Last week Seaborne controversially won a £13.8M Government contract to charter extra ferries in the event of disruption after Brexit despite not currently owning any ships.

A DfT spokesman said: “Before any contract was signed, due diligence on Seaborne Freight was carried out both by senior officials at the Department for Transport, and highly reputable independent third party organisations with significant experience and expertise into the company’s financial, technical and legal underpinning.

“Our contractual arrangements clearly reflect Seaborne Freight’s status as a new ferry operator and as such it is obliged to meet a number of stringent time staged requirements to demonstrate that it can provide an effective service, with break clauses in the DfT’s favour if it fails to meet them.

“Taxpayer’s money will only be transferred following the provision of an effective service.”

(Photograph: Highways England)