Operation Brock: Years more of delays warned for Kent motorists
A KCC lead says new post-Brexit passport checks could cause a 'serious, serious mess'
Last updated 8th Jan 2024
The nightmarish prospect of three years of Operation Brock on the M20 as a result of new EU digital borders has been signalled by the county’s transport chief.
Cllr Neil Baker, Kent County Council’s cabinet member for roads, warned the new Entry-Exit System (EES) is going to be a “serious, serious mess”.
The post-Brexit biometric checks, due to be implemented in October, will replace the manual stamping of passports to track travellers from non-EU countries more effectively.
But it is feared their introduction will clog up the cross-Channel terminals, cause massive congestion on Kent’s motorways and A roads, wreak havoc on people’s daily lives, create travel delays of up to 14 hours and damage the UK economy.
Cllr Baker said the message must be sent out to the wider public as “it’s going to be grim”.
On January 4, he told fellow cabinet members and senior KCC officials: “I think that we need to ensure not only all our members are aware of what may be on the horizon in October, we need to make sure the wider public are aware.
“We have already been telling the government for some time the problems we will be facing as part of of this EU entry exit strategy. I don’t think we can downplay how big of an impact it could well have on Kent and over an extended period.
“We are not talking about just going into October and there being a bit of a blip and everything will being back to normal.
“I think we have got to be realistic here – we could be looking at the equivalent of three years solid of Brock being in place.
“We know how bad life is when Brock is in place for a day or two – imagine that infinitely worse.”
Cllr Baker said that while it is a central government and international issue, KCC must make it clear what EES will mean to it as an authority and the county’s residents.
He added that KCC must do what it can to forewarn the public so that “we cannot be accused come October, if everything snarls up as badly as I fear it might, of people saying ‘why didn’t you warn everyone about this?’
“Frankly, we are. This is going to be a serious, serious mess. And it is not just Kent – we are probably going to look at, potentially, 12 to 14 hour queues up at the Eurostar terminal in London. It’s going to be grim.”
KCC leader Cllr Roger Gough, who warned late last year of “eye-watering” delays at cross-Channel ports, “absolutely” endorsed Cllr Baker’s warnings.
Council papers ahead of the cabinet meeting assesses the risks and consequences associated with EES.
The “risks” are: “That changes in border customs, checking and processing routinely disrupt local communities and both the strategic and local road networks.
“That the Government does not provide sufficient capital and revenue financial support to departments, agencies, local authorities and other infrastructure stakeholders necessary to address the necessary infrastructure, legislation and controls to ensure a long term plan for frictionless border movements.”
Under “consequences”, it states: “Significant slowdown in the existing flow of goods and people through the Kent Ports leads to long delays in accessing Dover Ports and Eurotunnel.
“Impacts on major traffic routes as a result of Operation Brock and other mitigations for port delays and the consequential increase in local and pan-Kent road journey times, impacting on local residents and businesses.
“Significant detrimental impact on county’s economic competitiveness,
attractiveness for inward investment and quality of life for Kent residents.”
Cllr Robert Thomas said that EES’s introduction is arguably one of the “biggest challenges facing this county”.
He told his colleagues: “Clearly, a lot of work needs to be done…but it’s not in our gift to control.”
Cllr Thomas urged for members of all parties kept fully briefed as the time approaches.
Natalie Elphicke, MP for Dover, says the UK must Britain prepare for the EES or risk travel chaos and damage to the economy.
She said: “With the clock ticking, it is now urgent that the government sharpen their focus on implementing the new digital borders system seamlessly.
“Otherwise, they risk big delays at the port, travel chaos in Kent and real damage to the British economy.
“The Port of Dover is a national asset that has a huge role to play in post- Brexit global Britain. That success has been built on trade running smoothly. That success has continued post-Brexit.”
“We need to also see that continue with necessary decisions and investment, including upgrading the A2 and planning for the EU’s new digital borders system when it becomes operational next year.”