News | Operation Stack


downsmail.co.uk Manston plan to solve Stack


THE use of Manston Airfield should ease local traffic congestion, according to the Government. The decision to make temporary


use of the disused airfield near Ramsgate while Operation Stack is in force follows a series of meetings involving the Government, High- ways England, Kent Police, KCC and representatives for the ports, Eurotunnel, and lorry drivers. Operation Stack is implemented


when problems at the Port of Calais lead to delays on ferry services and a backlog of lorries, which force the closure of the M20, usually coast- bound from junction 8 near Hollingbourne. Prior to the Manston decision, Operation Stack had closed the M20 on 27 days this summer, caus- ing gridlock throughout the Maid- stone area. The idea of a contraflow, offering coastbound motorists access to the M20 on the London-bound car- riageway, had been seen as a likely solution. But Highways England had rejected the idea as “too dan- gerous”. It says using Manston’s runway,


when required, as an alternative for freight traffic will provide short- term additional capacity to help manage freight traffic on itsway to the Port of Dover. It says itwillwork alongsideOp- eration Stack to reduce disruption on the M20, with holiday-makers “clearly sign-posted” to the ports and tunnel, and perishable, health and hazardous freight, including livestock “routed directly to the Channel Tunnel and Dover” rather than being stacked. Transport minister Lord Ahmad described the decision to use Manston as a “viable short-term so- lution”. He said: “By using Manston Air- field we have secured an interim


solution while we work to find a longer term resolution.” The deputy chief constable of


Kent, Paul Brandon, said:“We have been in a critical situation in Kent since the middle of June and, in that time the situation in Kent has been acknowledged as a very real, national issue. “The option to divert freight


bound for Europe to Manston Air- field, whilst very challenging, has become more feasible in terms of resourcing and logistics.” KCC leader Paul Carter said:


“Our principal concern has been to keep Kent moving.”


MP keeps up the pressure


MID KENT MP Helen Whately has welcomed the Manston move but is keen to keep the pressure on ministers and the French government to find a longer term solution to Operation Stack and the immigration and strike issues causing traffic chaos on this side of the English Channel. Mrs Whately said: "This is a step towards keep- ing the M20 flowing two-way as it will reduce the number of lorries queuing on the M20.” But she warned: “It may have implications for


M2 traffic, so I’m looking forward to the full update on how it will work. “We desperately needed a change to how Oper- ation Stack is managed. It’s been enormously dis-


ruptive for residents and disastrous for many businesses, with the M20 closed coastbound for 27 days in the last six weeks. Clearly the plan to use Manston is not the whole answer, but it is progress.” She said that a consequence of this summer’s disruption had been to eliminate any doubt about “the serious infrastructure investment needed to avoid this ever happening again”, adding: “It is now recognised as a na- tional problem, not just Kent’s problem." Fines for lorry drivers caught carrying illegal immigrants into Britain


have more than tripled in the past three years. Home Office figures show more than 3,300 fines were issued in 2014/15 - an increase of more than 50% on the previous year. Fines can be as much as £2,000 per migrant, for both the driver and the haulage company, In the past three years about 6,500 stowaways have been found in the


UK.


THE manager of a Harrietsham business on the A20 says his tak- ings are down a massive 25% be- cause of Operation Stack. Patrick Willoughby, from Lee


Davey Caravans, said: “You only have to look in the till to know


Caravan business sees trade fall Diversions as road closed


which days Operation Stackwas in force.” He said nose-to-tail traffic had


forced his customers to give the business a “wide berth” at its busiest time of the year. The company has been selling


MOTORISTS could face more misery when they are forced to avoid Holling- bourne village for three weeks because of work to the sewerage system under the main road. Eyhorne Street, a popular diversion with those trying to avoid Operation


Stack congestion, closed from property number 103 on August 10 for up to three weeks. Drivers are being encouraged to use the A249 and other routes to the A20. A spokesman for the Nu-Venture bus company also warned: “This will sever the only bus link to Hollingbourne (bus 13) for three weeks.”


High price of traffic chaos


MP Helen Whately has revealed the extent of local problems caused by Operation Stack. The Mid Kent MP said: “Visiting Maidstone Hospital I heard about midwives whose journeys to work are taking two or three hours in- stead of their usual 20 minutes. Pregnant women are worrying how they will get to the hospital in timewhen they go into labour. “I have had letters from busi-


nesses unable to pay wages be- cause customers have stopped coming. Leeds Castle is seeing a huge hit, and funeral services say mourners are missing services; I could go on, but I suspect almost everyone reading this knows how bad the situation is.” She called for compensation to


those in Kent who had lost money, including police (more than £1m lost), social services (more than £5m) and businesses (£1.5m each day Stack is implemented). A spokesman for Leeds Castle,


and servicing caravans on the site for people across the whole of the South East since 1948. Mr Willoughby said that there was no redress for businesses. He added: “Our busiest months


are June, July and August, when we get a lot of interest in our cara- vans and accessories such as gas bottles for barbecues and patio burners. “We started off with a record


June and since then we have suf- fered Operation Stack pretty much every week for a couple of days. “We will never be able to get


back this lost trade and there seems to be no one and nowhere for us to get any redress.”


which is located off M20 J8, said: “Due to Operation Stack, we are approximately 30% down on bud- geted visitors figures which trans- lates as roughly £90,000 income loss for the charity.”


Cost to police KENT police and crime com- missioner Ann Barnes wants the Government to reimburse the county’s police force for the full costs of policing Operation Stack.


The cost of implementing the traffic management measure this summer was £1m as we went to press, with more than 100 police officers and staff working all hours, she said.


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