Kent's transport chief calls for pre-Brexit Stack lorry park

Kent County Council's head of transport says plans for a lorry park to ease the problems caused by Operation Stack should “push on at pace” due to uncertainty over Brexit.

KentNews.co.uk reports that the hearing into government plans for a holding area “the size of Disneyland” for lorries has been put back until the autumn because of the election and this is concerning Kent's cabinet member for transport, Matthew Balfour.

It quotes him as telling a council meeting that, “KCC working with Shepway District Council continues to urge the Department for Transport and Highways England to work at pace to deliver a solution to Operation Stack.

“I understand that Highways England have suspended all work until the outcome of the judicial review - into the lawfulness of the decision of the secretary of state for the new lorry area to be created near Stanford to ease issues caused by Operation Stack - is resolved.

“The hearing was scheduled for June 27 this year however the DfT has advised that the judicial review has been adjourned at the request of the department and the claimant.

“The department’s reasoning for the adjournment request is to allow the new administration following the general election to have time to take a view and the June 27 hearing date left very little practical time for the government to do this.

“I am not aware that a revised hearing date has been set yet, but the department has advised that it will not be before October.”