The government has recently announced that plans to create a £250m lorry park just outside of the village of Stanford, have been scrapped.
The lorry park was due to provide parking for up to 3,600 lorries to reduce the effects of Operation Stack, when part of the M20 is closed to hold lorries during times of cross-Channel disruption.
Operation Stack was implemented 32 times during the summer of 2015, and the plans were accused by Stanford Parish Councillor Matthew Webb of being “a knee-jerk, political decision” as “the government didn’t like seeing it in the news”
Roads minister Jesse Norman assured that the government were aware of the severity of the impact on resident and businesses in Kent and added they “remain fully committed to a permanent solution”
The temporary solution put in place with Manston Airport being used as an emergency lorry park has been extended by the Department for Transport.
A decision on the interim solution is expected next year with delivery by March 2019. Consultation on a more permanent solution is also planned for 2018, with planning applications expected in 2019.
