The government is to be asked to use a major Kent inland freight facility for tourist traffic to ease pressures from new EU border controls.
Biometric checks for the Entry-Exit System (EES) are being rolled out across Europe this year for non-EU residents to phase out manual passport stamping.
Councillors hope Sevington Inland Border Facility in Ashford could be used for tourist traffic. Picture: Kanda Consulting
The Liberal Democrat opposition at Kent County Council (KCC) tabled a motion asking for more funding and powers to handle EES-related delays in Kent, including the use of Sevington Inland Border Facility (IBF) in Ashford.
This could “alleviate” the effect on local roads which may become congested as the new system beds in.
This half-term and Bank Holiday weekend is the first to have all EES registrations and checks but fears are growing for the big summer getaways.
In a rare show of unity at yesterday’s KCC annual meeting, there was broad consensus that EES in addition to Operation Brock – which holds freight on the M20 and is currently in place – could have a massive impact on the county’s roads beyond the channel ports at Dover and Folkestone.
Areas along the M20 corridor can become gridlocked when the Operation Brock contraflow breaks down following an incident.
Operation Brock is implemented on the coastbound M20 between Junctions 8 and 9 – and is currently in place. Picture: Barry Goodwin
The KCC cabinet member for highways and transport, Cllr Peter Osborne, said he has tasked senior officers to write to the Secretary of State for Transport asking for the “powers, funding and tools” to “rid us and Kent of this national burden we carry year on year”.
Lib Dem opposition leader Cllr Antony Hook said later: “Right now, Kent’s local economy is being treated as collateral damage.
“For our independent high streets, hauliers, and logistics firms, gridlock means staff cannot get to work, deliveries are delayed, and supply chains grind to a halt. When our roads paralyse, local commerce bleeds.
“Furthermore, when Kent becomes synonymous with gridlock, visitors avoid the county altogether, starving our vital hospitality and tourism sectors of crucial summer revenue.”
Reform UK’s Cllr Nick Wibberley – who lives in Sevington – joked that EES stands for “everyone essentially stationary”.
Sevington resident and KCC councillor Nick Wibberley
He told members: “Operation Brock is already a permanent headache for freight but adding in a tidal wave of holiday makers into the mix without a proper national plan is a recipe for disaster.
“Our local roads should not become default car parks just because Westminster treats the gateway to Europe like an afterthought. We need the government to step up with real funding and a creative plan for facilities like Sevington in Ashford where I live.”
Lib Dem Cllr Tim Prater said that the warning signs were “vividly” seen at Easter.
He added: “Technical failures and kiosk glitches proved that the EES is a ticking clock for Kent’s roads.”
Cllr Prater said the leadership at KCC needed “to step up and stop treating traffic management as an afterthought”.
Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Antony Hook says Kent “becomes synonymous with gridlock”
Cllr Osborne said: “The reality is that much of what is being called for here reflects our position and the ongoing actions and planning we are already pursuing.
“That said, it is irrational and illogical that the county’s and the country’s critical gateway to Europe is obstructed in this way on such a regular basis.”
Restore Britain group leader Cllr Paul Thomas, who represents Maidstone, said that his town “suffers” the consequences of Channel-bound traffic.
He said: “In Maidstone, we suffer every time it happens because we get the deflection of traffic with no alternative route. I would like to pray that we get the resolution and we get it swiftly because this has been going for far too long.”
The Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF), a multi-agency body which coordinates responses to disruption, of which KCC is a member, has already announced that the Lydden Hill Race Circuit near Dover may used as a “last resort contingency site”.
Paul Thomas, leader of Restore Britain at KCC, says Maidstone is hit by traffic issues
KMRF said: “The site can be used during a major disruptive event and would provide authorities with a safe off-road area that passenger traffic could temporarily use on route to Dover.
“The site would only be used in the event of an extreme scenario where it would be necessary to support fluidity in Kent and provide a safe rest location for travellers.”
Simon Jones, the KMRF strategic lead on border disruption, said: “Our priority is ensuring everyone’s safety. These measures combined with traffic management officers and partner resources will help to keep Kent moving during the busy getaway period.”
KCC members supported the Lib Dem motion with 67 for it and just one abstention.
Earlier this month, residents raised concerns about rubbish being left at the roadside around the Sevington IBF, which opened in 2021.
The facility was only supposed to be temporary following Brexit, but it was granted permanent status by the government in December.