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 Using the main motorway to Europe as a lorry park is crazy. on Facebook Share Using the main motorway to Europe as a lorry park is crazy. on Twitter Share Using the main motorway to Europe as a lorry park is crazy. on Linkedin Email Using the main motorway to Europe as a lorry park is crazy. link

    Using the main motorway to Europe as a lorry park is crazy.

    by ChrisM, over 3 years ago
    Whilst Brock was being built there were numerous overnight closures which forced huge HGVs onto the A20 Ashford Road, causing sleepless nights as they thundered through residential areas. This still happens with the frequent closures of the M20 and when the HGVs try to bypass the Brock system.


    Brock has been slightly improved by having the crossover after junction 8, instead of being between junctions 7 & 8 as it was previously, as it means fewer overnight closures between junctions 7 & 8. However it has caused problems as traffic cannot access the coastbound carriageway from junction 8 and has... Continue reading

    Whilst Brock was being built there were numerous overnight closures which forced huge HGVs onto the A20 Ashford Road, causing sleepless nights as they thundered through residential areas. This still happens with the frequent closures of the M20 and when the HGVs try to bypass the Brock system.


    Brock has been slightly improved by having the crossover after junction 8, instead of being between junctions 7 & 8 as it was previously, as it means fewer overnight closures between junctions 7 & 8. However it has caused problems as traffic cannot access the coastbound carriageway from junction 8 and has to go via junction 7.

    I need to travel from junction 6 to 8 when coming home from work, as coming off at junction 7 is impossible as there is too much traffic in all the surrounding roads and the New Cut/Ashford Road/Willington Street corridor cannot take the volume of traffic. This is the main access point for the M20 for most Maidstone residents and is frequently gridlocked as too much development has been allowed.

    The junction 8 roundabout is very dangerous as people using the services have to go back to junction 7 to access the coastbound carriageway. Many users of the services are not local and become very confused as to which exit they should take. I have seen many near misses where vehicles don't know where to go.

    The signage on the coastbound M20 between junctions 7 & 8 is very poor and the signs advising traffic which lanes they need to be in, start at the half mile point which is too late. On many occasions I have seen vehicles switching lane at the last minute. The signs need to start further back along the M20.

    With the reduced number of lanes, any breakdown or accident causes severe congestion between junctions 8 & 9 as there is nowhere for stranded vehicles to go, other than remain on live lanes. When this happens the A20 also becomes gridlocked.

    Building lorry parks nearer the ports is the only option, as using the main motorway to the continent as a lorry park is crazy.







  • Share Things need to change on Facebook Share Things need to change on Twitter Share Things need to change on Linkedin Email Things need to change link

    Things need to change

    by Centenary, over 3 years ago

    I understand the history of Op Brock and that it was brought in as a temporary measure to replace Operation Stack, primarily as a solution in preparation for EU Exit. It has already started to become the 'new normal' for all traffic disruption at the ports, no longer just for EU Exit issues. As a previous member of the Emergency Services, I have a lot of knowledge of Op Brock and it is a much better replacement for Op Stack, as it does have the contraflow that allows two way movement on the M20 and does alleviate some of the... Continue reading

    I understand the history of Op Brock and that it was brought in as a temporary measure to replace Operation Stack, primarily as a solution in preparation for EU Exit. It has already started to become the 'new normal' for all traffic disruption at the ports, no longer just for EU Exit issues. As a previous member of the Emergency Services, I have a lot of knowledge of Op Brock and it is a much better replacement for Op Stack, as it does have the contraflow that allows two way movement on the M20 and does alleviate some of the congestion issues on the A20 that were previously experienced with Op Stack. Also Op Stack was very police resource intensive, Op Brock does not require the same amount of resources, so is much better use of public money and freeing up important police resources to do much better things. But it is not the long term solution and there does need to be a long term lorry park built in the right location, close to the port to contain up to 4,000 lorries.

    As a local Bearsted resident, Op Brock does disrupt the local community, personally we have to regularly travel to Ashford to take our son to school and when Op Brock is activated this adds additional travel to our journey as we cannot join at junction 8 and have to go back to junction 7 to join the motorway, with an impact on the extra time for our journey every day and extra cost on fuel. We also see the impact of lorries trying to bypass Op Brock and trying to come through the village of Bearsted along Ware Street, this completely congests the village, with many lorries getting stuck in the village or by the railway bridge.

  • Share Emergency Services on Facebook Share Emergency Services on Twitter Share Emergency Services on Linkedin Email Emergency Services link

    Emergency Services

    by Annon, over 3 years ago
    I work in Ashford for one of the emergency services and have to travel down the M20 to get there. My days are already long, but now they are longer with Operation Brock in place. I car share with colleagues and meet near junction 8 of the M20 which as you know, is now blocked. This means that we are adding to the traffic on the A20 and making our journey time even longer.

    My experience of Operation Brock whilst driving on a blue light emergency call is also not very good. The outside lane is narrow and there is... Continue reading

    I work in Ashford for one of the emergency services and have to travel down the M20 to get there. My days are already long, but now they are longer with Operation Brock in place. I car share with colleagues and meet near junction 8 of the M20 which as you know, is now blocked. This means that we are adding to the traffic on the A20 and making our journey time even longer.

    My experience of Operation Brock whilst driving on a blue light emergency call is also not very good. The outside lane is narrow and there is not much room to pass lorries. One of our vehicles is too wide for the outside lane and therefore can’t be used on the M20 whilst Operation Brook is on. As all vehicles are doing the same speed, drivers often feel they need to speed up to get out the the way, therefore break the speed limit, or they pull in, in front of cars causing them to brake suddenly. When I have been travelling to a job in Maidstone on an emergency call and have used the M20 to get there, I have been stuck in traffic if there has been an accident or a broken down car and have been unable to pass. This has put lives at risk. The other option is to go the much longer A20 just in case there are delays, but this not only delayshelp getting to someone, but also puts lives at risk by the fact we have to drive on the wrong side of the road, and through villages.

  • Share Environmentally damaging and embarrassing decisions on Facebook Share Environmentally damaging and embarrassing decisions on Twitter Share Environmentally damaging and embarrassing decisions on Linkedin Email Environmentally damaging and embarrassing decisions link

    Environmentally damaging and embarrassing decisions

    by Harry , over 3 years ago
    I work in Ashford and would regularly meet at junction 8 and car share with colleagues, saving money and being more environmentally friendly. The closure of junction 8 coast bound makes this process pointless and the chance we will get stuck London bound due to there being no effective rescue plan if there is an accident has stopped everyone car sharing.

    Brock was meant to be to deal with freight traffic so I fail to see why the summer holidays are a reason to implement. Also a really great time to dig up the A20 at Charing.

    The whole point... Continue reading

    I work in Ashford and would regularly meet at junction 8 and car share with colleagues, saving money and being more environmentally friendly. The closure of junction 8 coast bound makes this process pointless and the chance we will get stuck London bound due to there being no effective rescue plan if there is an accident has stopped everyone car sharing.

    Brock was meant to be to deal with freight traffic so I fail to see why the summer holidays are a reason to implement. Also a really great time to dig up the A20 at Charing.

    The whole point of the concrete barrier is that it allows flexibility and can be done overnight, so why on earth has it been in place for months?

  • Share Need more lorry parks on Facebook Share Need more lorry parks on Twitter Share Need more lorry parks on Linkedin Email Need more lorry parks link

    Need more lorry parks

    by angie holland, over 3 years ago

    I have my mum and family who live in Mersham. I live near junction 8 of M20. It should be as easy as nipping on at jnc 8 and off at 10 of the M20. However I can't join at jnc 8 I have to drive another 15 minutes out of my way to jnc 7. That is if the M20 is open at all! Often I just can't get to her as the back roads are rammed. It's irritating as we desperately need lorry parks further back from Dover but there are too many nimby's who then moan about... Continue reading

    I have my mum and family who live in Mersham. I live near junction 8 of M20. It should be as easy as nipping on at jnc 8 and off at 10 of the M20. However I can't join at jnc 8 I have to drive another 15 minutes out of my way to jnc 7. That is if the M20 is open at all! Often I just can't get to her as the back roads are rammed. It's irritating as we desperately need lorry parks further back from Dover but there are too many nimby's who then moan about layby or antisocial parking. Also truck stops need to be affordable or no one will use them. We can't expect the people in Kent to put up with this alone.

  • Share We avoid M20 and all area on Facebook Share We avoid M20 and all area on Twitter Share We avoid M20 and all area on Linkedin Email We avoid M20 and all area link

    We avoid M20 and all area

    by Lucy , over 3 years ago
    We live in Maidstone and have a motorhome. Our favourite ‘Pop to’ site is at Deal. We regularly go there but not now. It’s impossible to get to without hours in the van. We used to spend money in the area, food, drinks, meals and other bits we need so now none of that money is spent in Kent.

    We live so close to the ferries but have friends who have sat in traffic for hours for a journey some with small children and others with dogs. Not great especially as you have a long journey after the crossing.
    I... Continue reading

    We live in Maidstone and have a motorhome. Our favourite ‘Pop to’ site is at Deal. We regularly go there but not now. It’s impossible to get to without hours in the van. We used to spend money in the area, food, drinks, meals and other bits we need so now none of that money is spent in Kent.

    We live so close to the ferries but have friends who have sat in traffic for hours for a journey some with small children and others with dogs. Not great especially as you have a long journey after the crossing.
    I feel very sorry for anyone who lives or works in the area as the traffic doesn’t move.

    Why keep the lorries on the motorway? We need to keep freight moving so we can get the goods we rely on. It must be awful to be a driver stuck on the roads for hours or sometimes days. No loos, not enough food. It’s appalling that we in the UK think it’s OK to treat drivers like this.


  • Share Was the M20 built as a lorry park? on Facebook Share Was the M20 built as a lorry park? on Twitter Share Was the M20 built as a lorry park? on Linkedin Email Was the M20 built as a lorry park? link

    Was the M20 built as a lorry park?

    by Lynn Rylands, over 3 years ago
    We live in Langley Heath and join the M20 at junction 8 Leeds Castle. It is utterly ridiculous for a motorway to become a lorry park so that we have to go in the opposite direction before we can join it to go in the direction of Dover. Petrol is money and fumes are bad for the environment. Villages along the A20 get completely isolated because of diverted traffic and narrow country roads get used and damaged by this traffic. What happened to Manston? Too much prevarication. And it’s time there was proper infrastructure on computerisation so that all paperwork... Continue reading
    We live in Langley Heath and join the M20 at junction 8 Leeds Castle. It is utterly ridiculous for a motorway to become a lorry park so that we have to go in the opposite direction before we can join it to go in the direction of Dover. Petrol is money and fumes are bad for the environment. Villages along the A20 get completely isolated because of diverted traffic and narrow country roads get used and damaged by this traffic. What happened to Manston? Too much prevarication. And it’s time there was proper infrastructure on computerisation so that all paperwork can be completed as it is obvious that it should be when the lorries start their journeys so they could make an almost non-stop journey to their destination. And the French just love to make issues. And what about the lorry drivers themselves? It must be hell for them spending hours in their cabs. The haulage industry will be on its knees. Brock is a rubbish way to solve a problem. Surely land could be acquired for a huge lorry park. Landowners are only too willing to sell for building purposes. And if not there should be compulsory purchase. And where should the money come from? The Department of Transport seems to be able to cope with motorway and rail projects. So get them on to this.
  • Share Absolute nightmare on Facebook Share Absolute nightmare on Twitter Share Absolute nightmare on Linkedin Email Absolute nightmare link

    Absolute nightmare

    by Callie, over 3 years ago

    Op Brock is the worst idea anyone has ever come up with. Not only does it increase the amount of accidents between the 2 junctions, but it adds on unnecessary time to journeys. Another thing I've found it that it is hard to fight the tiredness when driving along there as it is tedius sitting at 50mph for 15 miles after a long day at work. It has been proven that it doesn't work, so now is the time for it to be removed. More lorry parks are needed instead of using the M20 as 1 massive lorry park. It... Continue reading

    Op Brock is the worst idea anyone has ever come up with. Not only does it increase the amount of accidents between the 2 junctions, but it adds on unnecessary time to journeys. Another thing I've found it that it is hard to fight the tiredness when driving along there as it is tedius sitting at 50mph for 15 miles after a long day at work. It has been proven that it doesn't work, so now is the time for it to be removed. More lorry parks are needed instead of using the M20 as 1 massive lorry park. It is a major inconvenience to the residents of Kent. Nowhere else in England have to put up with anything like brock

  • Share Extremely bad for my health on Facebook Share Extremely bad for my health on Twitter Share Extremely bad for my health on Linkedin Email Extremely bad for my health link

    Extremely bad for my health

    by Lesley , over 3 years ago
    Cannot sleep due to excessive noise from lorries using the A20 as a secondary motorway. They are supposed to be professional drivers! The village is 30mph yet, the lorries hurdle through at their top speeds without a thought for anyone.

    MBC, KCC, Police, local MPs, Highway, Harrietsham Parish Council, do not care, as long as they don't have to put up with it.

    Noise, pollution, speed and all because M20 is shut more than it is open. It has made my life and many, many villagers lives an utter nightmare - morning, noon and night.

    The road is 30mph

    Then... Continue reading

    Cannot sleep due to excessive noise from lorries using the A20 as a secondary motorway. They are supposed to be professional drivers! The village is 30mph yet, the lorries hurdle through at their top speeds without a thought for anyone.

    MBC, KCC, Police, local MPs, Highway, Harrietsham Parish Council, do not care, as long as they don't have to put up with it.

    Noise, pollution, speed and all because M20 is shut more than it is open. It has made my life and many, many villagers lives an utter nightmare - morning, noon and night.

    The road is 30mph

    Then with accidents and excessive over building.of new houses the A20 from Ashford to Great Danes Hotel becomes a CAR PARK! Funmes, fumes and more fumes

    STOP the excessive speed, noise, pollution etc AND GIVE.ME BACK MY LIFE

  • Share Nightmare on Facebook Share Nightmare on Twitter Share Nightmare on Linkedin Email Nightmare link

    Nightmare

    by AP, over 3 years ago
    Operation brock pushes traffic onto the A20 and the surrounding roads which are already over used. Living in a single track lane we regularly have foreign lorries blindly following satnav and getting stuck. The chaos that ensues is horrendous and we feel like prisoners in our own homes.

    On another note as someone who needs regular hospital trips to the WHH in Ashford, I am unable to join the motorway at junction 8 which is 5 minutes from my home and have to either drive back up to junction 7 or fight through the traffic on the A20 meaning that... Continue reading

    Operation brock pushes traffic onto the A20 and the surrounding roads which are already over used. Living in a single track lane we regularly have foreign lorries blindly following satnav and getting stuck. The chaos that ensues is horrendous and we feel like prisoners in our own homes.

    On another note as someone who needs regular hospital trips to the WHH in Ashford, I am unable to join the motorway at junction 8 which is 5 minutes from my home and have to either drive back up to junction 7 or fight through the traffic on the A20 meaning that a journey which should take 30 minutes takes at least 50. What seems to be utterly ridiculous is that the lorries and cars merge at junction 8 so what is the point?