The government has been urged to speed up plans to give councils powers to combat Brexit gridlock.

Proposals to extend regulations allowing traffic officials to divert lorries were put forward by the transport secretary Grant Shapps earlier this month.

But they have been in limbo because of the Prime Minister’s decision to prorogue Parliament.

The proposals form part of the government’s Brexit contingency plans and would extend powers to councils and Highways England to stop HGVs, carry out checks and most significantly enable them to divert lorries away from Dover to other roads or holding sites.

Those that do not could face fines of £300.

Council chiefs and MP Charlie Elphicke have pressed the government to ensure the measures are in place to avoid disruption and delays.

A meeting of the Dover Brexit Taskforce - a cross-party group of council chiefs, business representatives and MPs - expressed concerns that the powers had not been approved.

The group has pressed the government to move quickly to help efforts to keep traffic moving on local roads.

Dover MP Charlie Elphicke said: “This area will play a vital role for the nation in the coming weeks and months – as it always has done. It was clear from the meeting that the Dover frontline stands ready and fully prepared.”

The new regulations will not be able to take effect and become law until they are passed by both the House of Commons and the Lords.

It is not clear when that may happen as the recall of MPs means the timetable for Parliamentary business has not been drawn up.

The law will, under Operation Brock, restrict lorries heading to the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel to specific roads to prevent them from using local roads to reach Channel ports.

HGVs will be blocked from using any road in Kent maintained by Highways England, Kent County Council or Medway Council other than:

• Motorways, accept for parts of the M20;

• the A2 and A20 between Kent’s boundary with Greater London and where those roads join the motorway network in Kent;

• the A249 between the M2 and M20 motorways;

• the A299 route from the M2 motorway to Manston Airfield.

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