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Lorry park Stack solution set to be revealed

A semi-permanent lorry park would be designed to end scenes like this as freight traffic queues at junction 9 of the M20 on Wednesday. Picture: GARY BROWNE
A semi-permanent lorry park would be designed to end scenes like this as freight traffic queues at junction 9 of the M20 on Wednesday. Picture: GARY BROWNE

WITH Kent's road chaos expected to continue today, the county council says it is ready to announce a location for a semi-permanent lorry park to ease the pressures caused by Operation Stack.

Kent Police suspended Stack temporarily on Sunday as quieter roads allowed the backlog of freight traffic to be cleared, but it was reintroduced on Monday as the SeaFrance strike continues and the county was hit by bad weather.

Kent Online reported in January that the cost of the proposed semi-permanent lorry park project had soared from £20million to £35million.

~ SeaFrance strikers: We're going to stick it out >>>

But KCC leader Paul Carter has confirmed that the site of the park is set to be revealed.

He said: "We think we have now got our preferred solution and we have a meeting on Tuesday to dot the Is and cross the Ts.

"Following that, we will be making an announcement as to the location of our preferred site. It will then be up to the Government to find a way of funding that."

KCC want the costs of the park to be met by introducing a 'Brit disc' charge on freight traffic from other countries.

But Cllr Carter insists a lorry park in Kent is just one answer and must be added to across the country to ease the strain on the region.

He added: "Not only do we want the Operation Stack solution but we want permanent lorry parks dotted around the country to make sure the international haulage industry has appropriate facilities.

"At the moment we are all only too aware in Kent of lorries parked all over the place."

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