“If we have a no deal we will want to make sure that we’re prepared at the border,” he said. However, he is confident that this 'worst case scenario' will not materialise. But even if we did, we will have the planning, preparation and operational matters in place to deal with the situation he added.

 

Rod McKenzie, Policy Director, Road Haulage Association responded: “I don’t think it is ever a good idea to turn motorways into lorry parks. What is needed is adequate lorry parking for drivers to use, with or without Brexit.”

 

A Government spokesman commented: “We are not going to get into speculation. We are planning for a range of scenarios as any reasonable Government would. It is important to stress that this is contingency planning for a scenario that we do not expect to happen. The Government’s priority is to ensure there is frictionless trade to keep businesses thriving and drivers on the move.”

 

Earlier this summer the Department for Transport outlined new plans to ease congestion on the M20 in Kent caused by cross Channel disruption, to complement Operation Stack. At present any closure of the coastbound carriageway means lengthy diversions for traffic.

 

The new plan, named Operation Brock, will allow traffic to travel in both directions in contraflow on the northbound carriageway when lorries are parked up on the coastbound carriageway.

 

A Highways England spokesman said that the new arrangement for managing lorries on the M20 will be ready by next March. Longer term solutions to Operation Stack are being considered, such as a lorry park elsewhere. But he said that the introduction of Operation Brock is not directly related to Brexit: “We were looking to find a solution to Operation Stack prior to the EU referendum as there was a recognition that Operation Stack can have an impact on local communities.”

 

Kent County Council addressed using the M26 as a lorry park was three years ago and ruled out due to its distance from the Channel ports because it would only be able to hold lorries arriving from the west, travelling anti-clockwise around the M25.

In response to proposed changes to Operation Stack, a spokesman said: “A fully worked up solution is required that uses all available means, including the proposed contraflow on the M20 (Operation Brock), Dover Traffic Access Protocol on the A20 and potentially also on the A2, additional lorry holding capacity at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel, as well as at Ramsgate Port and Manston Airport.”

The spokesman added that technology should also be used to manage queues of port bound lorries outside of Kent, “which will also require cooperation between different Police forces and other agencies across the UK”.

 

Managing traffic congestion on the M20 is one of 18 work streams which the Department for Transport is responsible for in preparing Britain for exiting the European Union.

 

A National Audit Office report said that the Department faces continued uncertainty around the outcome of the Government’s negotiations and added that contingency plans run the risk of not being delivered on time. It recommended that the Department develops a much clearer integrated plan. 

Sir Amyas Morse, Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit office said: “The Department has achieved a great deal in its preparations but over the coming months it will need to scramble to prepare for the UK’s EU exit, particularly if we are faced with a no deal scenario.”

Government spokesman said: “We have prioritised preparation for EU exit and Royal Assent of the Haulage Permits & Trailer Registration Bill will be a significant step in this process.”