Operation Stack
Encyclopedia
Operation Stack is the name used by Kent Police
and the Port of Dover
in England
to refer to the method of using sections of the M20 motorway
in Kent to park lorries when the Channel Tunnel
, English Channel
or Dover ports are blocked by bad weather or industrial action
, or enforced closure due to fire or derailments in the case of the tunnel. The system has been implemented over 75 times since its inception 20 years ago.
, lorries are parked on the coast-bound carriageway, with the road closed to all other traffic. Phase 1 involves closing the road between Junctions 11 (Hythe
) and 12 (Cheriton
), with the A20 providing an alternative route. Phase 2 involves closing the M20 between Maidstone
and Ashford
(Junctions 8 to 9) with the A20 being used as the diversionary road again. Phase 3 involves closing the M20 London bound between junctions 9 and 8 (Ashford to Maidstone).
This stacking can close the motorway for days at a time, and as a result, Operation Stack has been controversial.
, Damian Green
(Ashford) and Stephen Ladyman
(Thanet) were involved in a debate, covering the issue of Operation Stack, in the House of Commons
. Everyone agreed that stacking was a problem but there were no firm decisions as to any alternatives.
cross-channel ferry service resulted in Kent Police initiating phase 2 of Operation Stack to manage a freight traffic build-up as a result of delayed ferry services. The industrial action lasted for a number of days with the subsequent backlog of road freight on the M20 causing significant disruption to the surrounding area and roads. The MEP
for South East England
, Richard Ashworth
, and the leader of Kent County Council
, Paul Carter, urged French president Nicolas Sarkozy
to step-in and resolve the SeaFrance dispute, protesting the difficulties incurred by the county's residents and businesses. The long-term nature of the closures was the first time in the 20-year-history of Operation Stack that sections of the M20 had had to be closed for more than three days; businesses in nearby towns reported trade and takings down by up to 50%. As of 13 March, Stack was still operational - the longest single time it has ever been in operation. The Freight Transport Association estimated the cost of the disruption to be around £5 m as at 9 March. Kent County Council later announced progress with their plans to construct a lorry freight park which would be used for temporary parking in an attempt to mitigate the effects of Operation Stack. This has met with opposition from the borough councilor for Saxon Shore ward where the rest stop would be sited; he accused the County council of "not thinking strategically", not considering the environmental impact properly, and of siting the facility too close to a National Grid facility where he expects the fuel in vehicles to be a danger to a "facility of strategic national importance".
, lorries heading for the port of Felixstowe
are parked on the old A45 road at Levington. The traffic used to be held on the main A14 trunk road but this was deemed to be too dangerous for other road users. This is implemented when winds exceed 45 miles per hour (72.4 km/h) as the cranes
cannot be operated due to Health and Safety regulations.
when the ports of Cairnryan
and Stranraer are closed. The whole road is closed to hold HGVs heading for Northern Ireland
when needed.
Kent Police
Kent Police is the territorial police force for Kent in England, including the unitary authority of Medway.-Area and organisation:The force covers an area of with an approximate population of 1,660,588 . The Chief Constable is currently Ian Learmonth, who was appointed in 2010 and is the former...
and the Port of Dover
Port of Dover
The Port of Dover is the cross-channel port situated in Dover, south-east England. It is the nearest English port to France, at just away, and one of Europe's largest passenger ports, with 14 million travellers, 2.1 million lorries, 2.8 million cars and motorcycles and 86,000 coaches passing...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to refer to the method of using sections of the M20 motorway
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
in Kent to park lorries when the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
, English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
or Dover ports are blocked by bad weather or industrial action
Industrial action
Industrial action or job action refers collectively to any measure taken by trade unions or other organised labour meant to reduce productivity in a workplace. Quite often it is used and interpreted as a euphemism for strike, but the scope is much wider...
, or enforced closure due to fire or derailments in the case of the tunnel. The system has been implemented over 75 times since its inception 20 years ago.
Kent
In KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, lorries are parked on the coast-bound carriageway, with the road closed to all other traffic. Phase 1 involves closing the road between Junctions 11 (Hythe
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
) and 12 (Cheriton
Cheriton, Kent
Cheriton is a northern suburb of Folkestone in Kent that is the location of the English terminal of the Channel Tunnel. It is the location of the major army barracks of Shorncliffe Camp.- History :...
), with the A20 providing an alternative route. Phase 2 involves closing the M20 between Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
and Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
(Junctions 8 to 9) with the A20 being used as the diversionary road again. Phase 3 involves closing the M20 London bound between junctions 9 and 8 (Ashford to Maidstone).
This stacking can close the motorway for days at a time, and as a result, Operation Stack has been controversial.
Alternatives
Several options are being considered instead of closing the motorway. They include:- To try to combat the disruption, parking the lorries on the Kent County ShowgroundKent ShowgroundThe Kent Showground, formerly known as the Kent County Showground is an area of land in Detling, Kent, England, north of the county town of Maidstone...
at DetlingDetlingDetling is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Maidstone in Kent, England. The parish is located on the slope of the North Downs, north east of Maidstone, and on the Pilgrims' Way....
has been discussed by the Highways AgencyHighways AgencyThe Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
, but locals are opposed because the area is very congested with traffic. - In 2005, the DoverDoverDover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
Harbour Board unveiled a plan to create a lorry park for 1500 vehicles with construction beginning in 2006. - In February 2007, it was revealed that Kent County Council has been talking to landowners about buying land for a lorry park.
- There has been a suggestion from ShepwayShepwayShepway is a local government district in Kent, England. It includes the towns of Folkestone and Hythe and the Romney Marsh. It is named after the Jutish lathe of Shepway; the Royal Court of Shepway, which met near Lympne at a place called Shepway Cross, was the principal court of the Cinque Ports...
District Council for a lorry park to the North East of the roundaboutRoundaboutA roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
at Junction 11, which would be supported by associated development within the StanfordStanford, KentStanford is a village in Kent, England close to Ashford, and within the Parish of Stanford. It has been divided by the M20 into Stanford North and Stanford South. There is a windmill to the north of the M20 and west of Stone Street. The parish church is All Saints.-External links:*...
and LympneLympneLympne is a village situated on the former sea cliffs above the Romney Marsh in Kent. It lies approximately west of Folkestone, 2 miles west of Hythe and east of Ashford....
areas. - A conedTraffic coneTraffic cones, also called traffic pylons, road cones, highway cones, safety cones, construction cones or witches' hats or safety wizards, are usually cone-shaped markers that are placed on roads or footpaths to temporarily redirect traffic in a safe manner...
contraflow system has been discussed and trialled on the 10.5 miles (16.9 km) motorway section between Ashford and Maidstone, to relieve the pressure on the A20, however it proved costly and slow to arrange, taking two days to set up and two days to remove afterwards. However, the Highways AgencyHighways AgencyThe Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
have announced a plan to use Quick Movable Barriers to set up a Contraflow so that two running lanes of traffic on the M20 can be maintained.
Parliament
At the end of January 2007, local Members of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Damian Green
Damian Green
Damian Howard Green is a British politician who has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ashford since 1997. He came to national prominence after being elected in his constituency. Before standing for parliament, Damian Green was Channel 4's business editor...
(Ashford) and Stephen Ladyman
Stephen Ladyman
Stephen John Ladyman is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for South Thanet from 1997 until 2010.-Early life:...
(Thanet) were involved in a debate, covering the issue of Operation Stack, in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. Everyone agreed that stacking was a problem but there were no firm decisions as to any alternatives.
March 2008
On 5 March 2008 continuing industrial action (which had begun in late February) by French workers operating the SeaFranceSeaFrance
SeaFrance is a ferry company based in France that operates ferry services between Calais, France, and Dover, England.SeaFrance is 100% owned by the French railways, SNCF....
cross-channel ferry service resulted in Kent Police initiating phase 2 of Operation Stack to manage a freight traffic build-up as a result of delayed ferry services. The industrial action lasted for a number of days with the subsequent backlog of road freight on the M20 causing significant disruption to the surrounding area and roads. The MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for South East England
South East England (European Parliament constituency)
South East England is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 10 Members of the European Parliament using the D'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
, Richard Ashworth
Richard Ashworth
Richard James Ashworth is a Member of the European Parliament for South East England for the Conservative Party. He is married with three daughters...
, and the leader of Kent County Council
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
, Paul Carter, urged French president Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
to step-in and resolve the SeaFrance dispute, protesting the difficulties incurred by the county's residents and businesses. The long-term nature of the closures was the first time in the 20-year-history of Operation Stack that sections of the M20 had had to be closed for more than three days; businesses in nearby towns reported trade and takings down by up to 50%. As of 13 March, Stack was still operational - the longest single time it has ever been in operation. The Freight Transport Association estimated the cost of the disruption to be around £5 m as at 9 March. Kent County Council later announced progress with their plans to construct a lorry freight park which would be used for temporary parking in an attempt to mitigate the effects of Operation Stack. This has met with opposition from the borough councilor for Saxon Shore ward where the rest stop would be sited; he accused the County council of "not thinking strategically", not considering the environmental impact properly, and of siting the facility too close to a National Grid facility where he expects the fuel in vehicles to be a danger to a "facility of strategic national importance".
Suffolk
In SuffolkSuffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, lorries heading for the port of Felixstowe
Felixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
are parked on the old A45 road at Levington. The traffic used to be held on the main A14 trunk road but this was deemed to be too dangerous for other road users. This is implemented when winds exceed 45 miles per hour (72.4 km/h) as the cranes
Crane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
cannot be operated due to Health and Safety regulations.
Stranraer
A similar method is used on the A751 near StranraerStranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
when the ports of Cairnryan
Cairnryan
Cairnryan is a small Scottish village in Dumfries and Galloway on the eastern shore of Loch Ryan. The village has been of vital importance in maritime history.-Ferry Port:...
and Stranraer are closed. The whole road is closed to hold HGVs heading for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
when needed.