Plans for a new lorry park that would alleviate the impact of Operation Stack on Kent’s roads, residents and businesses have been put out to public consultation by Highways England.

Chancellor George Osborne announced £250M of funding for such a facility in his recent Autumn Statement. This followed disruption to Channel crossings over the summer that left the M20 lined with trucks for a total of 28 days.

“Summer 2015 saw the longest deployment of Operation Stack in its history, and underlined the need for long term improvements for dealing with cross channel disruption,” said Highways England asset manager for Kent Kevin Bown.

Two proposed locations for the new lorry area have been identified near junction 11 of the motorway, each suitable for managing disruption at the Port of Dover or EuroTunnel.

Potential uses of the site could range from emergency use only to providing truck stop facilities 24 hours a day.

Roads Minister Andrew Jones said: “A new lorry area will ease congestion as well as help the road haulage companies to operate more effectively.”

Freight Transport Association’s head of policy for London and the South East Natalie Chapman said: “Kent desperately needs overnight facilities for lorry drivers to reduce the problem of trucks parking in villages and residential areas.”

Highways England’s consultation – which runs until 25 January – seeks public views on the suitability of its proposed sites and on how it should be operated.

Mr Bown added: “We have been working hard with our partners to identify solutions that offer the most promising benefits, and we are keen to hear what people think about the proposals.”

Photo courtesy of the Department for Transport