Two sites have today been revealed as potential lorry parks in a bid to ease the decades of misery from Operation Stack.

A consultation is being launched, which will ask people to choose between two options: one west of Stanford, near Hythe, and one which will use junction 11 of the M20.

It comes after the government announced a £250m investment into the scheme, which would avoid closing the M20 during difficult times.

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It's hoped the chosen site could be used to help manage any disruption affecting either the Port of Dover or EuroTunnel services and could also provide 24 hour truck stop facilities.

In total four options for how the lorry park could be used were revealed by Highways England.

Roads Minister Andrew Jones said: "The government’s long-term plan is to find a solution for the hardworking people of Kent so they can continue to travel around the area freely, even when there is disruption to cross Channel services.

VIDEO: KM Political Editor Paul Francis visits the village unhappy with the lorry park plans

"A new lorry area will ease congestion as well as help the road haulage companies to operate more effectively."

Highways England asset manager for Kent, Kevin Bown said: "Summer 2015 saw the longest deployment of Operation Stack in its history, and underlined the need for long term improvements for dealing with cross channel disruption.

"A lorry area could help significantly reduce the likelihood of having to close the M20 in the future and also has the potential to improve facilities for lorries across the county in general.

VIDEO: Kevin Bown from Highways England reveals Op Stack plans

"We have been working hard with our partners to identify solutions that offer the most promising benefits, and we are keen to hear what people think about the proposals.

"I advise anyone who would like to find out more to check out the consultation materials or come and see us at one of the public exhibitions we’ll be hosting."

Shepway council leader David Monk, said he was now certain one of these proposals would be built, and he was working hard to ensure the solution put forward would have the least impact on local people.

He added: "Stack has caused misery for residents and businesses across the whole of Shepway for more than 20 years. We must stop Stack.

"However residents are understandably increasingly angry about lorries parking on roads and lay-bys across the district and the numbers of lorries now queuing on the A20 and M20 to access Dover Port and Eurotunnel on a regular basis.

"Lorries are even parking on slip-roads and on the hard shoulder of the M20 and there is increasing concern about this dangerous situation - in effect there is an unpoliced mini-stack almost every night.

"So for local residents and local businesses it’s no longer just about Stack. If the solution can stop lorries clogging up local roads and ruining residents lives by parking in communities across Shepway, I am all for it."

But the chair of Stanford Parish Council, Matthew Webb, has branded the park a "knee-jerk reaction" and believes it is not a full solution to Operation Stack.

Paul Carter, Leader of Kent County Council, said he welcomed Highways England's actions, but "with £250million of public money at stake, we want assurances that their strategy for this will keep the Queen’s highway open.

"The local economy and residents can no longer endure the misery of the M20 being completely closed when Stack is on.”

The consultation asks for views on the suitability of each proposed sites, and on how it should be operated.

The first of eight public information exhibitions, where people can find out more and have their questions answered by members of the project team, will be held 12pm to 6pm tomorrow and again from 2pm to 8pm on Monday at Sellindge Sports and Social Club in Swan Lane.

Similar events will be held in the New Year and all will take place from 2pm to 8pm.

The first will be at the Civic Centre in Folkestone on Monday, January 4 and Tuesday, January 5.

Further exhibitions will be in Ashford at The New Ashford Market on Orbital Park on Wednesday, January 6 and at Dover Town Hall on January 7.

The final events will be at Sellindge Sports and Social Club again on Monday, January 11 and at Hawkinge Community Centre the following day.

The consultation ends on January 25 next year.