Memorandum submitted by Kent Police (SE
07)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
— Operation Stack is the co-ordinated multi-agency
response to increased demand on the road networks of Kent, caused
by reduced capacity for vehicles to leave the UK via the Port
Of Dover or the Channel Tunnel. Reduced capacity can occur spontaneously,
for reasons such as bad weather, engineering failures or major
incidents; or sometimes can be predicted by engineering works
or pre-planned industrial action. — Kent and Medway experience
approximately 130,000 vehicle movements on the roads, each day.
Up to 5,000 of these are freight vehicle movements through the
port of Dover on route to Europe. The impact of any blockage at
Dover Port or the Channel Tunnel is significant, with increased
traffic congestion and potential "gridlock" of the County's
roads. — The primary tactic of Operation Stack is to use
sections of the M20 motorway to "stack" Heavy Goods
Vehicles (HGVs) until normal service at the port/tunnel can be
resumed. Whilst this is a well-practised tactic by Kent Police,
supported by the Highways Agency, it is costly and resource intensive,
diverting large numbers of officers and staff from their primary
functions. Despite its regular use to manage abnormal traffic
flow, Operation Stack only provides a short-term contingency arrangement.
— The wider impact of Operation Stack is
significant, with both social and economic implications experienced
at a local, regional and national level. The operation disrupts
the commercial and residential communities of Kent & Medway
by depriving them of the use of sections of the M20 motorway and
causing extra congestion on alternative routes. The operation
can generate a large volume of complaints and general criticism
against Kent Police, Local Authorities and other partner agencies.
In recent years, the name "Stack" has become synonymous
with negative publicity in both local and national media.
— In light of the considerable impact on
the communities of Kent & Medway and on the demands of Kent
Police, Operation Stack is unsustainable as a longer-term solution
to traffic congestion in the south of the County. Alternative
options continue to be explored but require a progressive and
co-ordinated partnership response across a number of agencies.
The SEEDA Regional Economic Strategy includes a core activity
to deliver an alternative holding facility and Kent Police would
welcome engagement in delivery of this solution. To date no approach
has been received.
1. OVERVIEW OF
OPERATION STACK
1.1 The strategic aim of Operation Stack
is to "Work in partnership to keep Kent moving by minimising
the impact of cross channel traffic disruption". Through
implementation and management of Operation Stack, Kent Police
seek to:
— minimise the economic impact to cross
channel business operators and businesses within Kent and Medway;
and
— maximise the opportunity for free movement
of goods and people through the County.
2. IMPLEMENTATION
2.1 Kent Police and its partners regularly
monitor the flow of commercial traffic into the county in order
to identify excessive congestion at the earliest opportunity.
In advance of traffic flow exceeding available holding capacity,
a decision is taken to implement Operation Stack. The respective
holding capacities of Dover and the Channel Tunnel are:
2.2 In the case of Dover, where the number
of lorries within the port exceeds 500 and planned sailings are
unable to accommodate them, the relevant stage of Operation Stack
is then implemented.
2.3 Operation Stack has three recognised
phases, which can be implemented in isolation with less impact
or in tandem to provide a longer-term contingency arrangement
where disruption is likely to be for an extended period. The matrix
at Appendix 1(a)[27]
highlights the key demands and implications of each phase of the
operation. Appendix 1(b)[28]
shows the practical application in map format.
3. RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
3.1 The resource requirements for implementation
of each phase increase in line with the number of vehicles accommodated.
The holding queue is a high-risk environment due to the continuous
movement of HGVs and emergency vehicles, which requires a full
risk assessment and experienced staff.
3.2 For complete implementation of Operation
Stack (all phases) the resource demands for Kent Police total
2 Inspectors, 5 Sergeants and 101 Police Constables. This effectively
consumes all available "Roads Policing" officers from
the Strategic Road Networks (SRN) of Kent. Additional support
is required from BCU/District officers in order to cover incidents
elsewhere on the SRN and this in turn can reduce local response
capabilities.
3.3 Application of Phase 3 or a protracted
application of Phase 2 (in excess of 48 hours) would require the
provision of mutual aid arrangements from neighbouring Forces.
3.4 There is the opportunity for greater
assistance from Highway's Agency Traffic Officers (HATOs) in the
staffing and management of the holding queue. This is provided
in a Memorandum of Understanding, although to date these much
needed resources have not been forthcoming. Kent Police continue
to lobby key stakeholders in an effort to secure this additional
support.
4. COMMUNITY
IMPACT
4.1 Each phase of Operation Stack involves
an element of disruption to normal traffic flow, both within the
towns of South Kent and over an extended area of the M20 motorway,
in both directions. Dependant on the volume of traffic in the
holding facility, the management of "return to normality"
can take between two and eight hours, thereby extending the impact
to local communities and those travelling in the county. A full
community impact analysis, prepared in conjunction with Kent County
Council, is shown at Appendix 2.
5. COST AND
DEMAND VARIABLES
5.1 Over the past three years, Operation
Stack has been implemented an average of 10 times per year. Full
details are listed in the cost and demand matrix in Appendix 3.
5.2 The cost of delivering the operation in the
last 3 years has exceeded £940,000. These costs relate solely
to expenses and police overtime and do not include the cost of
standard police time.
5.3 Whilst there is more likelihood of demand
in the winter with bad weather disrupting sailings, annual data
provide little opportunity for predictive analysis to inform demand
profiling and thus reduce staff costs.
6. THE FUTURE
6.1 Increasing rates of commercial vehicle
movements through the county indicate that in the short term,
the three phases of Operation Stack may have insufficient capacity
to accommodate the requisite number of vehicles. Kent Police has
conducted an assessment of the potential for an additional "Phase
4" option, which could employ the top section of the M20
(junctions 3 to 2) for vehicle reception (similar to tactics employed
in France). There is a clear desire from the Highways Agency to
protect traffic flow on the M25 motorway from any Operation Stack
impact so this option appears to be unviable.
6.2 In the absence of viable holding capability
elsewhere on the Strategic Road Network within Kent, alternative
sites need to be considered. The option of diverting Kent bound
HGVs from the M25 prior to reaching Kent is therefore to be explored
with southern police forces and the Highways Agency via the M25
Integrated Policing Group. An equally viable solution would involve
the development of an off road holding area or lorry park, with
the capacity to accommodate 5,000 lorries. This features as a
core activity in SEEDA's 10-year Regional Economic Strategy although
to date Kent Police has not been consulted on efforts to deliver
this.
7. CONCLUSIONS
7.1 In recognition of the unsustainable
nature of Operation Stack as a longer-term solution, seeking an
alternative arrangement must be a priority. Kent Police has been
proactive in its efforts to develop a solution to the challenges
of cross channel congestion and have developed a range of proposals
in line with key partners.
7.2 Whilst Kent Police and it's partners will
continue to meet the commitment to provide a safe and effective
road network in the county this must be in conjunction with extensive
multi-agency efforts to establish a viable and permanent solution
to traffic management around Dover and the Channel Tunnel.
27 Information provided, not printed. Back
28
Information provided, not printed. Back
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