Possible solutions to Operation Stack will be published within weeks but it may take at least another year to put them in place, according to Highways England.

The news came during a meeting of MPs on the Commons transport committee, who today (Weds) heard evidence on the problems caused to Kent when the scheme is implemented.

Highways England said it expected the earliest time any off-road capacity for dealing with Operation Stack might be ready was next Autumn.

David Brewer, Network Delivery and Development Director, told MPs:

“We will have sufficient information to put forward credible options within weeks.”
But he cautioned: “The earliest we are looking at being able to have off-network parking is next Autumn. It does depend on a lot of other things falling into place...these would normally take several years and go through a planning process.”

“The earliest we are looking at being able to have off-network parking is next Autumn" - Highways England director David Brewer

He added: “We do not have the funds to implement it. It is not up to us to decide. From a realistic perspective, that would be next Autumn. We would normally not commit to such a timescale without doing a lot more work about the site and the construction costs. We do not have confidence in that delivery date for all these reasons.”

The meeting was told that the disruption over the summer had cost Kent Police a massive £1.3m - money the force was now trying to reclaim from the government.

Kent County Council leader Paul Carter said he still favoured the option of building a large lorry “holding area” for up to 4,000 HGVs.

“We have been grappling with this for years. I have always said that we must have capacity to get 4,000 HGVs off the motorway if we are to hae any hope of dealing with this. The only solution is to build a permanent lorry park.”

He said such a facility could be built for “a maximum £150m” and urged the government to provide the funding, saying Kent had “all the disbenefits.”

KCC recently published a report that set out various proposals with a huge £468m price tag.

Cllr Carter said: “There are all sorts of over-inflated costs being banded about what might be the cost but I believe that it could be done for a maximum of £150m. We have got to strike while the iron is hot.”

But he declined to say where the park might be, saying only there were a number of sites under consideration.

Highways England said there were very real issues around using Manston as a relief lorry park but it had been agreed to use it as on balance, it was the best option.

“Manston certainly cannot cope with all the demand but if we can take a proportion of HGVs off, the principle benefit is that we can contain Operation Stack to phase 1 and 2,” said Mr Brewer.

Cllr Carter was more optimistic, saying he accepted that Manston could not cope with every HGV but if it was able to take some, it would help prevent the M20 being shut completely to traffic.

Shepway deputy leader and cabinet member for communities Cllr Jenny Hollingsbee told the committee:

“I believe we suffer Operation Stack virtually every day. Residents won’t want a huge lorry park but it’s probably the lesser of two evils. It’s something we need to consider. People have become used to Stop24. It gets them off the road.”

So far this year, Operation Stack has been implemented for a record-breaking 32 days, costing the local Kent economy an estimated £1million a day.