Memorandum from the Channel Corridor Partnership
(CCP) (FT 20)
INTRODUCTION
1. The importance of the freight industry
for the economic competitiveness of UK plc cannot be under-estimated.
Freight logistics has resulted in a greater flow and accessibility
of goods and services, both nationally and globally and is fundamental
in modern business techniques. But the evolution of, and demand
for, on-time freight and distribution infrastructure is a double-edged
sword; freight activities are responsible for causing environmental
problems such as pollution; social distress during congestions
and even fatalities in accidents
2. Here in Kent this "freight evolution"
can be witnessed daily. Kent's proximity to mainland Europe provides
the shortest and most cost effective means for the movement of
freight. Ever increasing demands on local infrastructure and its
current inadequacy to cope with peak traffic flows and disruptions
to Port and Tunnel operations has provided the public sector with
a unique number of issues to address.
3. This submission on behalf of the Channel
Corridor Partnership highlights the scale of the complex problems
faced by authorities in Kent, leading us to advocate that Kent
should be on the National/European transport agenda as a strategic
priority.
UK ECONOMIC AND
FREIGHT TRENDS
4. 60% of goods imported into the UK enter
via the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel, equivalent to 4,000,000
HGVs travelling through Kent in 2006.
5. In general terms, and for basic reasons
of geography and cost, Ro-Ro traffic growth is likely to continue
to be strongly concentrated in the South of England. This view
is supported by the Department of Transport's discussion document
on the Ports Policy Review (May 06) which in its own Central
Forecast provided a growth figure for unitised traffic (which
includes the Channel Tunnel) of Average Annual Growth of 3.09%.
6. The Ports Policy document also states
that "demand for Ro-Ro is expected to grow strongly. The
impact in absolute terms is likely—for obvious geographical
reasons—to continue to be strongly concentrated in the south
of England: the main concentration is through Dover; but also
at Portsmouth and elsewhere. There are obviously potential implications
for road congestion and pollution in the hinterlands of the Ro-Ro
ports, which need to be carefully considered."
7. This analysis adds weight to the argument
that the Greater South East of England will continue to partake
more in absolute terms than any other area from the likely increase
in ports traffic, although unitised traffic is projected to grow
proportionately strongly in all regions. However, industry specialists
such as MDS Transmodal Ltd recognise that increasing road and
rail congestion may dampen down some of this growth.
8. Crucially the Port of Dover Masterplan,
a proposed expansion of the port to provide more berths for larger
and faster craft, is predicated on growth figures as outlined
in the table provided below. This suggests that all forms of cross-channel
traffic will grow but that Freight HGV traffic will double at
Dover between 2006 and 2034.
Trade Sector
| | 2006 | 2014
| 2024 | 2034 |
Freight Vehicles | Million units
| 2.3 | 2.75 | 3.52-3.92
| 3.72-4.52 |
Tourist Vehicles (cars
and coaches) |
Million units | 2.7 | 2.75
| 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Passengers | Million | 13.7
| 14.2-14.6 | 14.7-15.5 | 15.5-16.4
|
| Cruise | Calls | 136
| 140 | 180-190 | 200-250
|
| |
| | | |
Fresh Produce | 000 tonnes
| 200 | Rising to 350-400 |
| Aggregates | 000 tonnes |
190 | Within the 200-250 range |
| |
| |
Source Dover Port News February 2007.
THE CHANNEL
CORRIDOR PARTNERSHIP
9. The objective of the Channel Corridor Partnership
is very simple—we aim to "Keep the Gateway Open",
and maintain its status as the "Gateway" rather than
"The Bottleneck to Europe". We summarise this into a
simple slogan—maximise flow, minimise impact'. We believe
that this will require solutions and funding at a National/ European
level. EU policy is that no one member state should fund infrastructure
requirements to eradicate bottlenecks where many member states
benefit. We believe that this policy should apply here in East
and South Kent, so that no one local authority is expected to
finance solutions to an issue that benefits all of the UK economy.
10. "Maximising flow, minimising impact," falls
broadly into 3 themes requiring UK Government policy recognition;
— Access and Egress to the Port of Dover
— Safe and Secure off road parking
— An off-road area for the implementation of Operation
Stack
ACCESS AND
EGRESS TO
THE PORT
OF DOVER
11. Part of the second headline recommendation of The
Eddington Transport Study (December 2006) is:
"Maintaining or improving the performance of the UK's key
international gateways. Specifically: . . . . . . . . . roll on
roll off ports that support a high level of freight usage and
are showing signs of congestion and unreliability. This focus
should incorporate surface access routes to these gateways, again
where such links are showing signs of congestion and unreliability".
12. The M20 is the National Strategic Route for Freight
and identified as a Trans-national European Route by the EU. Highways
Agency policy is to direct port traffic via the M20 because A2/M2
infrastructure is already considered inadequate for the combined
impact of Thames Gateway and the European "Gateway"
traffic.
13. But it is recognised locally that the two main roads
that lead to the Port of Dover, the M20/A20 route and M2/A2 route
just about manage to cope on a day-to-day basis with current vehicle
volumes, which peak at around 11,000 HGVs a day.
14. The daily rush hour in the evening sees commuter
traffic mixing with port traffic to exit the town of Dover creating
a tail-back of road freight, tourist vehicles and local commuter
vehicles that block roundabouts accessing the town and the roundabout
that directly accesses the Port. This leads to vehicles trying
to leave the Port being blocked back into unloading areas which
means that there can be occasions when the Ro-Ro ferry operators
cannot unload effectively and efficiently which compounds the
delay in loading vehicles bound for mainland Europe.
15. There is a proposal to improve the exit road from
the Port of Dover to the A20 and install "rush hour"
traffic signals on the roundabouts of the A20. Further road improvements
will also be required to support the Port of Dover in delivering
their £300 million Development Plan to increase port capacity.
16. When the port of Dover's terminal 2 opens for business
in 2013 external infrastructure improvements must be in place
to maximise on this investment. The new Western Docks development
proposed in the DHB Masterplan can be served by the M20/A20 route
while traffic for the Eastern Docks could be directed via the
A2/M2/A2. But at the moment the A2/M2 route is inadequate to take
the HGV traffic for the Port. We would strongly recommend upgrading
the A2 from Brenley Corner to the Port of Dover so that East Kent
is not disadvantaged by the Highway's Agency policy on only using
the M20, and that the M2/A2 can complement the Port of Dover's
Masterplan.
17. To raise awareness of the issues surrounding Kent,
the Channel Corridor Partnership and Calais Chamber of Commerce
and Industry on 25 June 2007 made a submission to the European
Commissions as part of DGTren's Freight Transport Logistics Bottlenecks
Exercise (EU Transport White paper 2005) highlighting the operational
and infrastructure bottleneck affecting the Port of Dover and
it's knock on effect for the rest of the sub region, the UK and
Europe.
18. It is our view that implementing the Eddington Transport
Study recommendations are fundamental to achieving our freight
vision of "Maximising Flow, Minimising Impact".
SAFE AND
SECURE OFF-ROAD
HGV PARKING
19. Delays and lack of suitable facilities can cause
uncertainty for truck drivers who need to plan where they can
stop to comply with European legislation for mandatory rest periods.
Ideally they would like to park in a safe and secure place but
may be forced to park in an unsafe place where they could become
a victim of vehicle and driver crime. Faber Maunsell (July 05)
report that up to 2,000 vehicles park in illegal/non-secure parking
areas each night in East Kent.
20. The HA response to receiving expressions of concern
about lorries parking in inappropriate locations was to publish
the Truck Stop Guide 2006 (as part of a European wide initiative)
to provide information on the location of truck stops. This guide
states that the total provision for the South of England is approximately
2,250 serving the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich, Southampton, Sheerness,
Tilbury, as well as the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel. Kent alone
could fill the whole of the South of England provision to cope
with the current number of lorries parked up in inappropriate
places in Kent every night.
21. The HA policy of leaving the private sector to provide
new facilities for HGV's and PSV's on the all-purpose truck road
network is clearly a commercial failure and, in our view, requires
a rethink. We believe that a public/private sector partnership
approach is required to tackle the twin requirements of allocating
and owning land and providing appropriate commercial services
such as toilets, showers, refreshments and other services. Public
Authorities are responsible for expenditure to mitigate the damage
caused to the physical environment, the cost of policing "anti-social
activities", daily congestion, environmental pollution and
the cost to local communities facing the nightly invasion of inappropriately
parked HGV's. Providing safe and secure lorry-parking can be seen
as cost-effective for the public sector.
22. Finding and funding sites is fundamental to delivering
the European, UK and Local Government transport agenda, as well
as improving the quality of life of communities, sitting along
significant freight routes, who are badly affected by this aspect
of the road freight industry. Employment land allocations in Local
Plans and Local Development frameworks are required for community
needs, providing local employment opportunities and for the business
sector inward investment and expansion opportunities. HGV parks
are land hungry and create few permanent jobs; Ashford Truckstop
has 300 HGV spaces and employs 40 people either directly or indirectly.
To not set aside land to meet this real need encourages illegal
parking and passes on the problem to neighbouring authorities.
23. A sea change in planning policy is therefore required
with HGV parks being given a planning use designation that does
not disadvantage employment land allocation targets.
24. The HA in partnership with other Government Departments
who have a vested interest in freight transport, must develop
a strategic approach to the provision of off road HGV/PSV facilities
to reflect the travel patterns of the road freight industry pan
Europe.
25. Two current EU investigations highlight the fact
that this lack of safe and secure provision is not unique to East
Kent or to the UK;
(a) SETPOS is a pilot project launched in June 2007 involving
5 member states including Ashford Truckstop. It is investigating
the provision of lorry-parking on the TENs Network and developing
an accreditation system to identify freight industry recognised
"safe off road parking locations".
(b) A European Parliamentary investigation entitled "Organised
theft of commercial vehicles and their loads in the European Union"
was published in July 2007. It highlighted the A20/M20 as a freight
crime "hotspot". Similar "hot spots" in Germany,
Netherlands and to a lesser extent in the Czech Republic and Slovenia
were also identified.
OPERATION STACK
26. Operation Stack is implemented when freight operations
across the Channel are disrupted, and subsequently lorries are
parked in queues on various sections of the M20 Motorway on a
phased basis, whilst local traffic is diverted onto "A"
roads. Between 1996 and 2004 Operation Stack was implemented 92
times. 85% of Operation Stack implementations are caused by inclement
weather not French industrial action as is often believed by the
Media and/or local residents.
27. As part of a study by the Channel Corridor Partnership
into the impact of Operation Stack (February 2007) it was shown
that drivers find it quicker to sit and wait (on average up to
6 hours) in the queue rather than divert to another port. Hauliers
are also unlikely to change their Port of choice as the Calais/Dover
route will always be the shortest, most economic crossing between
the UK and mainland Europe and many hauliers have accounts with
more than one ferry company as well as Eurotunnel.
28. Further wide spread disruption in 2007 combined with
a campaign to "take stack off the road" spearheaded
by the Channel Corridor Partnership, Local Authorities, Kent County
Council and the media, culminated in June 2007 with the then Secretary
of State for Transport, Dr Stephen Ladyman announcing the funding
of the Quick-change Movable Barrier (QMB). This is a traffic management
system for "Operation Stack" Phase 1 between Junctions
11 and 12 of the M20 at an estimated cost of £12m. He also
stated that the Government remains committed to a long-term off-road
solution.
29. The Channel Corridor Partnership would expect the
Transport Select Committee to recommend that this be embedded
in UK Government policy irrespective of the findings of the current
Highways Agency investigation into the business case for such
a solution.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
FOR CONSIDERATION
30. Alternatives to road freight, air rail and short
sea will realistically make little impact on the numbers of lorries
passing through Kent.
31. Freight Quality Partnerships require the ability
to deliver solutions otherwise they become a lobbying and consultative
group. The solutions needed to resolve the above problems require
input at a much higher level to be successful.
32. The European Commission has accepted that the above
problems exist in a number of member states. The Channel Corridor
Partnership is unaware of any Departmental initiative at a European
level to secure solutions.
33. Improving the road safety record of haulage vehicles
can in part be achieved through the provision of adequate off
road safe and secure rest areas for day as well as overnight.
This will enable drivers a proper rest without having to worry
about personal safety and load security. It would also provide
VOSA with sufficient space to conduct safety checks, raise awareness
of safety issues with drivers and promote safe practises etc.
Ashford Truck Stop currently provides this for VOSA.
34. The upgrading of the A2 has been proposed for the
last 15 to 20 years. Improvements to the A20 in Dover have been
the subject of numerous inter-agency discussions. There are currently
no plans for off road HGV parking despite the 2,000-space shortfall,
no plans to upgrade the A2 and no funded solution for an off road
Emergency Marshalling Area for "Operation Stack". This
is despite many Government Agency consultations, investigations
and reports.
35. Solutions cannot be delivered at a local level using
local resources. Locally everybody is aware of what the problems
are and what is required to resolve them. They are not new. But
the solutions—land, infrastructure and planning are resource
and investment intensive.
36. Clearly there is an urgent need for an Integrated
Freight Management Strategy for Kent and in our view if this strategy
is to include delivering realistic solutions it will need buying
into at the highest level in the UK and Europe. This can only
be achieved through the Department taking responsibility for developing
and delivering a realistic Integrated Freight Transport Strategy.
37. To date there is little evidence of the Department
facilitating the "free movement of goods and services"
that underpins the Maastricht Treaty. This lack of "free
movement" is most apparent during the peak freight movements
between Tuesdays and Thursdays for vehicles exiting the UK via
Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover when tail-backs and queues are
expected, and circumnavigated by locals.
38. The UK financial burden for delivering solutions
to the issues raised above can be minimised in two ways. Major
projects to improve traffic flows have consequences that are far
wider than the limits of national frontiers. It is hardly credible
to expect that individual countries alone finance these projects
where a large part of the benefits falls to other countries. The
European Commission recognises that in order to minimise financial
burdens, member states who are not directly concerned by infrastructure
works but which receive benefits, should be encouraged to provide
financing for projects. This principle is already applied in the
case of the agreement of 5 May 2004, between France and Italy,
to construct the base tunnel on the Lyon-Turin route which will
be financed 63% by Italy against 37% by France in order to rebalance
the investment in the project overall taking account of the fact
that the access routes to be built are largely in France.
39. Charging for the use of infrastructure, to finance
infrastructure, is increasingly common in the EU. The CCP believe
that the provision of off-road facilities could be fully funded
by charging commercial vehicles at the point of entry to the UK.
For example, London has introduced a congestion charge and the
Port of Felixstowe has put a levy of £5.50 on each container
to fund external infrastructure as part of a planning condition.
Germany followed the example of other Member States by introducing
the Maut motorway charge for commercial vehicles. There is no
need to introduce a new system, the current `Eurovignette' scheme
could be adapted not only to provide facilities but also to ensure
that their use would be affordable for drivers irrespective of
country of origin or load value.
40. We recommend that the Select Committee instruct the
Department to pursue these options to part fund the infrastructure
and off-road solutions required to meet current and projected
freight needs.
October 2007
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