GREEN campaigners say plans for a huge lorry park off the M20 to cope with Operation Stack are a doomed attempt to solve the county's congestion problems.

The Kent branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) said it was profoundly disappointed green land could be destroyed in what it described as "a vain bid to sort out the Operation Stack problem".

KCC has identified a 70-acres site off the London-bound M20 between junction 10 and 11 as a possible site for a semi-permanent lorry park.

CPRE Kent director Dr Hilary Newport said: "We know Operation Stack has been a nightmare for Kent for far too long and we wholly agree with the county council that a solution must be found.

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"But a greenfield lorry park will not address the fundamental causes of Stack. We must not destroy yet more of our green space in a doomed attempt to solve Kent's congestion problems."

The key issue that had to be addressed was the relentless growth in road freight, she added.

"If road-based freight traffic through Dover is allowed to keep increasing at 10 per cent a year, the biggest lorry park in the world wouldn't prevent our county being threatened with gridlock.

"Only by reducing the volume of freight coming in to this country, as well as moving more of it by rail and sea, can we hope to make a real difference."

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