Kent is to get a £250 million investment in its roads to end the misery of Operation Stack, the Chancellor announced today.
Operation Stack brought Kent to a standstill this summer, closing the M20 for 32 days. Patients had operations delayed, lessons started late in schools, businesses saw profits tumble and one 10-year-old girl had to wait and hour and a half for an ambulance after falling off a climbing frame. It cost the country over £250million
This has been a problem for decades, so this summer, together with other Kent MPs, I stepped up pressure on Government. We lobbied Ministers in the Department for Transport, and the chancellor for action and funding..
So I’m delighted to see the Chancellor's commitment today to a quarter of a billion pounds investment in Kent’s road infrastructure to stop this happening in the future.
I've campaigned for an alternative to Operation Stack since I was elected.
I've held meetings with ministers and Kent Police, asked questions in the House of Commons and spoke to the BBC’s Today programme about the chaos Operation Stack was causing the people of Kent.
Together with other Kent MPs, I met the Chancellor, George Osborne, on 4th November to press for funding to improve Kent’s road infrastructure to be included in the Autumn Statement.
Today Mr Osborne granted that request, saying: “Having met Kent MPs, I will relieve the pressure on roads in Kent from Operation Stack with a new quarter of a billion pound investment in facilities there.”
The money will support the development and construction of off road lorry parking close to the M20 in east Kent to relieve pressure on the motorway and free up the roads for people and businesses. The government will consult on a preferred site at Stanford and other alternatives shortly.
The Chancellor went on to say: “The honourable Member for Faversham came to me to fight on behalf of her constituents who see their lives disrupted when the Channel Tunnel is blocked and lorries queue up on the motorways and block up the local roads. She and my other honourable friends from Kent came to me with a proposal to relieve that congestion and relieve the impact of Operation Stack. We’re making a quarter of billion pound commitment to the county of Kent to help them with this traffic problem and provide a permanent solution.”
He was responding to my question: “This summer Operation Stack brought Kent to a standstill. Can I welcome his announcement today of a quarter of billion investment in Kent’s infrastructure to keep Kent moving, and does he agree with me that investment in infrastructure is vital for Britain’s economic growth, national security and public services?”
Read more about my campaign to keep Kent Moving at here.
The next step will be to get on the case with Highways England and make sure the new lorry parks get built as soon as possible. Not a day must be wasted.
You can read a letter from the Chancellor about his Spending Review by clicking the attachment below.
