How does Operation Brock impact you?

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Consultation has concluded.

View of M20 during Operation Brock

Cllr David Burton, Leader of Maidstone Borough Council:

“The implementation of Operation Brock causes significant disruption to residents and businesses of Maidstone. We know that it is needed as part of the current plan to manage the volume of both freight and tourist traffic using the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel when queues build up. This can occur for a variety of reasons. The number of occasions when Op Brock is in place and the impact for our community, businesses and people travelling to and around the borough are unacceptable. This situation cannot be allowed to continue.

We need your help to build the case for change. So we want to hear from you about the impacts that you experience when Op Brock is in place – for your personal lives and working lives – so that we can build a picture of environmental, social and economic impacts.

Operation Brock is not a long term or permanent solution for the border control issues. We cannot tolerate this becoming the “new normal”.

So we also need to look at alterative solutions. We would also like to hear your views on this.

My personal view is that there needs to be sufficient off road lorry parking in the vicinity of the ports and this would help manage some occasions with high freight and tourist traffic queues. I know that others suggest a scheme to hold vehicles further up country and I will not rule this out although there would be operational challenges to how this would work and be enforced. Technology has enabled us to work productively throughout the pandemic in many walks of life – technology could also offers solutions to these challenges.

We want Maidstone to be a Borough that works for everyone, with residents and local businesses at the heart of our decision making and would really like to hear from you about how this disruption has impacted on your lives and ideas for alternative ways forward, so that I can take this evidence to Government to demand action to prevent this from going on forever."

How can you get involved?

1. Experiences - Share your experiences of Operation Brock. We want to know more how Operation Brock impacts on you, your life, your local area or your business. Tell us about your experiences (below). We encourage you to comment on the posts left by other residents whose experiences you may share.

2. Ideas - Tell us your ideas about what can be done to improve the effect Operation Brock has on you, your life, your local area or your business when it is in operation.

3. Impact - Take part in our quick poll (on the right) to tell us what level of impact Operation Brock has had on you.

4. Location - Use our map to show us where in the borough you've experienced issues due to Operation Brock.

What Next

We will be gathering this information up until 2 October 2022, this timeframe may be extended based on the response or to gather further information and feedback.

Cllr David Burton, Leader of Maidstone Borough Council:

“The implementation of Operation Brock causes significant disruption to residents and businesses of Maidstone. We know that it is needed as part of the current plan to manage the volume of both freight and tourist traffic using the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel when queues build up. This can occur for a variety of reasons. The number of occasions when Op Brock is in place and the impact for our community, businesses and people travelling to and around the borough are unacceptable. This situation cannot be allowed to continue.

We need your help to build the case for change. So we want to hear from you about the impacts that you experience when Op Brock is in place – for your personal lives and working lives – so that we can build a picture of environmental, social and economic impacts.

Operation Brock is not a long term or permanent solution for the border control issues. We cannot tolerate this becoming the “new normal”.

So we also need to look at alterative solutions. We would also like to hear your views on this.

My personal view is that there needs to be sufficient off road lorry parking in the vicinity of the ports and this would help manage some occasions with high freight and tourist traffic queues. I know that others suggest a scheme to hold vehicles further up country and I will not rule this out although there would be operational challenges to how this would work and be enforced. Technology has enabled us to work productively throughout the pandemic in many walks of life – technology could also offers solutions to these challenges.

We want Maidstone to be a Borough that works for everyone, with residents and local businesses at the heart of our decision making and would really like to hear from you about how this disruption has impacted on your lives and ideas for alternative ways forward, so that I can take this evidence to Government to demand action to prevent this from going on forever."

How can you get involved?

1. Experiences - Share your experiences of Operation Brock. We want to know more how Operation Brock impacts on you, your life, your local area or your business. Tell us about your experiences (below). We encourage you to comment on the posts left by other residents whose experiences you may share.

2. Ideas - Tell us your ideas about what can be done to improve the effect Operation Brock has on you, your life, your local area or your business when it is in operation.

3. Impact - Take part in our quick poll (on the right) to tell us what level of impact Operation Brock has had on you.

4. Location - Use our map to show us where in the borough you've experienced issues due to Operation Brock.

What Next

We will be gathering this information up until 2 October 2022, this timeframe may be extended based on the response or to gather further information and feedback.

Tell about your experiences of Operation Brock

We want to hear about your experiences of Operation Brock and understand the impact it has on your life. 

Share your story

Thank you for sharing your story with us.
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
  • Share Impact on the NHS community services on Facebook Share Impact on the NHS community services on Twitter Share Impact on the NHS community services on Linkedin Email Impact on the NHS community services link

    Impact on the NHS community services

    by Fed up of Brock, over 2 years ago
    On the 26th July a 15 minute journey took me over an hour because of all the Brock/TAP/Chunnel/port chaos. I work in the community for the NHS. Appointments were cancelled by patients and staff who just couldn’t physically get to appointments in the local area.

    Enough is enough now. Given how many years we have had OpStack before Brock, someone in government should have had a better solution by now.
    It impacts the local shops, health services and no one cares!

  • Share Freda Freestone on Facebook Share Freda Freestone on Twitter Share Freda Freestone on Linkedin Email Freda Freestone link

    Freda Freestone

    by Freda, over 2 years ago
    I live in Broomfield,and operation brock causes our village a lot more traffic coming through,it’s a single track road and it becomes so congested by all sorts of vehicles that it becomes gridlocked.People don’t read the signs properly ,there is a weight restriction and they don’t care,they just see it as a short cut to avoid the traffic jams.because these drivers are not local they just will not give way,at the passing places.this causes the traffic all to gridlock.
  • Share A death waiting to happen, and a nightmare for locals. on Facebook Share A death waiting to happen, and a nightmare for locals. on Twitter Share A death waiting to happen, and a nightmare for locals. on Linkedin Email A death waiting to happen, and a nightmare for locals. link

    A death waiting to happen, and a nightmare for locals.

    by Fed up of Brock, over 2 years ago
    Driving from Ashford to Maidstone with Brock on feels like an intense drive. If there are lots of lorries driving and I need to be in the outside lane it feels so narrow. One side of you is a lorry and the other is a concrete barrier. The option is to sit in the left lane with lorries in front and behind. Most often those lorries drive close and it is intimidating, or to drive on the outside lane absolutely hyper focused because it feels all to close. Very tiring and exhausting.
  • Share The Brock/Stack misery. on Facebook Share The Brock/Stack misery. on Twitter Share The Brock/Stack misery. on Linkedin Email The Brock/Stack misery. link

    The Brock/Stack misery.

    by Darren , over 2 years ago

    Both my mrs and myself live in Ashford and have to commute west on the M20 towards Maidstone and beyond 5-6 days a week, She works in West Malling and my mobile work takes me mainly to Maidstone, Medway and beyond.

    opp stack/Brock has been the thorn in our sides for some time now making any traveling on the A20/M20 an utter misery, it regularly comes to lengthy stand stills caused by break downs or crashes and due to the lack of refuge areas/hard shoulder I really believe someone will be killed, probably by an HGV if I’m honest, just... Continue reading

  • Share Awful commute on Facebook Share Awful commute on Twitter Share Awful commute on Linkedin Email Awful commute link

    Awful commute

    by Deanna Hartshorne, over 2 years ago
    Brock adds hours to my daily commute especially when there is an issue. I usually travel between junctions 8 and 9 but when Brock is in use it takes junction 8 out for me going home so I have to use the A20 which has road works at Charing at the moment. These take 20 minutes to get through due to volume of traffic so adds even more time to my day. Its just inconvenient every single day. Not sure what the solution is but agree that Brock isnt it!
  • Share Intimidated by foreign trucks on Facebook Share Intimidated by foreign trucks on Twitter Share Intimidated by foreign trucks on Linkedin Email Intimidated by foreign trucks link

    Intimidated by foreign trucks

    by MrIdontlikeBrock, over 2 years ago
    When I travel both ways between Junctions 8 to 9, it feels like I'm towing a HGV. I stick to the 50mph limit and the trucks, mostly foreign, are constantly close to my rear.

    The lack of a hard shoulder makes it a dangerous drive which is increased at night with no street lights either. I came across a breakdown one night which didn't have any hazards or lights on, obviously a electrical fault. The poor guy was frantically waving a hi-vis jacket and his phone torch to warn other drivers.

    During the day, when traffic volumes are higher, the... Continue reading

  • Share Ashford workers living in Maidstone on Facebook Share Ashford workers living in Maidstone on Twitter Share Ashford workers living in Maidstone on Linkedin Email Ashford workers living in Maidstone link

    Ashford workers living in Maidstone

    by Karen Ruddell, over 2 years ago
    My husband and I live in Grove Green, Maidstone and work in Ashford. We car share on some days when we can. Operation Brock has resulted in an additional 15/20 minutes on our journey twice a day. We frequently choose to travel via the A20 rather than M20. We are fed up with the lack of notice about changes on the motorway, the way Brock disappeares and reappears without any specific apparent reason and the fact that between Brocks presence and absence there are still lanes on the M20 closed for miles and miles for road works, despite work people... Continue reading
  • Share Brock feel a prisoner in the village on Facebook Share Brock feel a prisoner in the village on Twitter Share Brock feel a prisoner in the village on Linkedin Email Brock feel a prisoner in the village link

    Brock feel a prisoner in the village

    by Caz, over 2 years ago
    I live in lenham and when brock is I place getting out of the village is a nightmare, I work in a school in Ashford and have to allow at least 15 minutes just to get out of the village and turn right to Ashford and when they close the m20 totally well you can forget it. When I am not working weekends and holidays it makes me not want to go out because I know I will be sat in traffic for ages, so most of my weekends I end up staying at home.
  • Share Brock causes absolute chaos on Facebook Share Brock causes absolute chaos on Twitter Share Brock causes absolute chaos on Linkedin Email Brock causes absolute chaos link

    Brock causes absolute chaos

    by #StopBrock, over 2 years ago
    Bearsted village becomes gridlocked as everyone cuts through to try and beat the queues. This means we can’t easily get to work or go anywhere.

    Can take us an hour to do a journey to my parents that should take 7 minutes. They rely on us for lifts to hospital and doctor appointments. They become isolated as friends and family don’t visit as often due to the traffic chaos.
    Need traffic management at Leeds Castle roundabout to stop foreign lorries going down the A20 as this just adds to the congestion. Instead they just sit in the motorway bridge at... Continue reading

  • Share Operation brock on Facebook Share Operation brock on Twitter Share Operation brock on Linkedin Email Operation brock link

    Operation brock

    by C , over 2 years ago

    I travel to see my family from the other side of Maidstone down to Ashford, when covid struck that was the only time I travelled to see my family without to much of an issue because the roads were empty, since then it has been an absolute nightmare travelling from place to place, the 50mph speed limit adds so much time to the journey and if there is an accident the delay times are horrendous because the emergency services cannot get there quickly because the two lanes are either blocked or congested, but if you're lucky enough not to be... Continue reading