Agenda item

To note the attached report of the East Kent Highway Manager, KCC Highways and Transportation.

KCC’s East Kent Highway Manager (EKHM) presented the report which updated Members on the plan to use Manston as a holding area for HGVs unable to cross the Channel due to industrial action.  

Councillor Collor referred to the KCC Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee report that had been circulated to Members in advance of the meeting.  This report differed to the report presented to the JTB as it stated that traffic would be diverted to Manston once it became apparent that Phase 2 of Operation Stack was needed.   The JTB report indicated that traffic would only be diverted to Manston if Phase 3 was required.  Given that Phase 3 had never been implemented, the level of manpower and machinery based at Manston until June 2016 was wasteful and unnecessary.  

The plan to restrict departures from Manston to conveys of 20 vehicles at a time would unnecessarily prolong the period of disruption to east Kent’s roads.   It was estimated that 28 police officers would be needed to police the route where it fell within Dover district alone.  In any case, the proposed scheme would only deal with traffic for Dover; Channel Tunnel traffic would still be stacked on the M20.   He was aware that Highways England were working on a long-term solution.

Councillor Cowan agreed that the use of Manston was idiotic and would simply lead to the clogging up of east Kent’s roads.   Kent had effectively been closed for business during the summer, with a loss to the economy of £250 million per day, and a long-term solution had to be found.   The levy of £10 imposed on HGVs by the Government should be used to build lorry parks, but these would have to be free, or the cost of them included in Eurotunnel or ferry tickets, or drivers would not use them.   Councillor Eddy commented that the potential disruption to local roads would be horrendous.   The idea of a lorry park at Westenhanger, broached some time ago, had not been pursued and should be reinvestigated.    

Councillor Ovenden was concerned that the villages she represented would be used as diversion routes from the A2.   Councillor Bond shared the concerns raised by other Members, adding that the expansion of the Port of Dover was only likely to make matters worse.  He was incredulous that the trial carried out at Manston had not gone on to test the transfer of lorries from Manston to Dover.

The EKHM sympathised with Members’ concerns, particularly those relating to rural roads.   He clarified that the plan to release a limited number of trucks was designed to minimise the impact on Sandwich and the A256.  Signs were already in place to discourage lorries from entering Sandwich and minor roads as it was evident that the police would be physically unable to resource the scheme.   Members were reassured that lorry parking was high on KCC’s agenda and a meeting, involving all agencies and authorities, was scheduled for the following month to consider options.  Many man-hours had been spent by numerous bodies (including Highways England, Balfour Beatty and Mott McDonald) trying to find a solution.

RESOLVED:  That a letter be written by the Chairman on behalf of the Board to the Secretary of State for Transport and Highways England (copied to KCC) expressing the Board’s concerns about the use of Manston and the need to find a long-term solution.