‘Urgent government action’ needed to prepare Kent for post-Brexit trade
Kent County Council have called on the Government to ‘urgently resolve outstanding issues’ over preparations for the end of the Brexit transition period.
At a meeting today (22 October), councillors endorsed a report which demands a series of issues are addressed by Whitehall ‘at pace’.
It includes asking ministers to guarantee that a new website - known as the ‘check an HGV service’ - will be ready for 1 January 2021.
Among the other problems KCC wants the government to fix:
‘Accurate traffic modelling’ has still not been provided by the Department for Transport for key parts of Kent’s road network, such as Junction 10 and 10a of the M20.
‘Detailed operational plans’ for the five inland border sites have still not been agreed, including ‘command and control’ arrangements.
A ‘compliance and enforcement’ regime for the new Kent Access Permit system, with the ‘proper resources’, is not yet in place.
County officials are still yet to see government plans for ‘dealing with levels of freight beyond Kent’s capacity’.
Cllr Roger Gough, leader of Kent County Council (Conservative), told ITV News Meridian it’s his "absolute priority" to "minimise disruption" for people and businesses.
Operation Fennel: preparing for 7,000 lorries in worst-case scenario
The big fear is that between 30 to 50% of lorries travelling to Dover and the Eurotunnel on 1 January 2021 won’t be ready for the new UK-EU customs requirements.
It has emerged public agencies have held at least seven ‘emergency planning exercises’ for various scenarios since 1 April 2019.
Five sites in Kent are due to be used next year as part of the ‘transit infrastructure’ to try to prevent the county’s roads becoming gridlocked, according to the KCC report.
The sites are:
Manston
Dover (site planned for July 2021)
The Sevington site alone is capable of holding 1,700 lorries, if there is disruption at the ports, while Manston could accommodate 4,000. But Kent officials warn the traffic management plans - dubbed Operation Fennel - ‘will not completely prevent congestion’ if there are customs holdups.
‘Key’ online HGV check system
The online technology for lorry drivers to check they have all the right customs paperwork is described by KCC as a 'key plank' of plans for how freight will cross the border in future.
But some doubt it will be ready in time. Cllr Dara Farrell, Labour group leader on Kent County Council, told ITV News Meridian there are "serious practical issues which need addressing" but that "the government is falling short".
Government sources claim the website will be ready by December and a version has reportedly been shared with some hauliers.
In response to the report, a Department for Transport spokesperson said:
A public consultation for local people on three of the planned Inland Border Facilities in Kent closes on Monday 26 October. You can share your views on a dedicated website.
Watch Kit Bradshaw's report here: