How does Operation Brock impact you?

Tell about your experiences of Operation Brock

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  Brock does not work

  by scw73, over 3 years ago

  The bottom line is Operation Brock is not a solution to address the issues which arise through our ports in Dover and Folkestone. Harrietsham like the many others villages through which traffic is diverted has been impacted all summer. Me and my family on many occasions had to cancel our plans due to the volume of traffic on the A20 and local roads. It has been unsafe for our children to use the pavements to meet friends, walk to the shops or even attempt to cross the A20 to get to the bus stop to travel into town with the... Continue reading

  The bottom line is Operation Brock is not a solution to address the issues which arise through our ports in Dover and Folkestone. Harrietsham like the many others villages through which traffic is diverted has been impacted all summer. Me and my family on many occasions had to cancel our plans due to the volume of traffic on the A20 and local roads. It has been unsafe for our children to use the pavements to meet friends, walk to the shops or even attempt to cross the A20 to get to the bus stop to travel into town with the constant slow of cars and HGV's speeding through Harrietsham. Although Harrietsham has the A20 running through it so some traffic noise is expected, over the summer the increase in noise levels and I suspect pollution levels as a result of Op Brock has been unbearable.

  The organisation of the system is shameful. There are very basic things which for Kent county council and national highways should have considered and monitored throughout.

  • Poor signage - causing traffic to be in the wrong lanes with so many near misses and some accidents at Jn8 coast bound as well as traffic which should be taking the M20 forced to then take the A20.
  • Joining at Jn8 - traffic not able to rejoin coast bound at Jn8 again forcing increased traffic along the A20 as no-one will travel back up to Jn7 to re-join.
  • Lack of controls for HGVs - nothing preventing HGV's, specifically foreign drivers exiting coast bound at Jn8 and traveling along the A20 to avoid Brock. Yes we heard about a handful of fines but that does no equate to the 1000's of lorries we have all experienced traveling along the A20 throughout the day and night over the whole summer.
  • Lack of speed controls along the A20 - At times the A20 was at a standstill, but at other times traffic was speeding through Harrietsham as HGV's and cars had absolute no regard for speed limits, the unsafe and dangerous conditions created for pedestrians and increased traffic noise as a result.
  • Navigation systems not showing correct information - with such a major traffic measure being put in place there needs to be coordination with companies providing navigation data to stop traffic just being redirected along the A20 and follow the measure being put in place as well as ensuring the data remains up to date. As an example Google Maps was showing the M20 closed to all coast bound traffic from Jn8 when it was open taking me 3 attempts to get Google to correct it.

  Even with more consideration, better planning and coordination with Op Brock, it still does not work as a long term measure for port disruption and delays especially when we see the new EU laws coming into force in 2023 with fingerprint/biometric data being required at the ports.

  What we need is a long term strategy to deal with the port challenges and volume of traffic. There has to be multiple lorry parks built not only in the areas near ports but outside and further up towards the M25 where HGV traffic can be somehow filtered to closer locations to prevent the build up which ultimately impacts local villages like Harrietsham along the A20 as well as those residents in Dover and Folkestone. This needs to be done BEFORE next summer - we cannot have a repeat of this again, it is unfair on Kent and its residents.
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  Misery of Op Brock

  by H, over 3 years ago

  I live beside the A20 in Harrietsham & experienced a miserable summer with a lack of sleep, increased pollution and being unable to venture out in my car on numerous occasions due to the volume of traffic and foreign lorries using the A20. As a result, the rds are in a terrible state and have become even noisier due to lorries driving over the bumps etc. When Op Brock is in place, it is not safe for my children to walk to meet friends or to the shop as the majority of motorists have little regard for the speed limit... Continue reading

  I live beside the A20 in Harrietsham & experienced a miserable summer with a lack of sleep, increased pollution and being unable to venture out in my car on numerous occasions due to the volume of traffic and foreign lorries using the A20. As a result, the rds are in a terrible state and have become even noisier due to lorries driving over the bumps etc. When Op Brock is in place, it is not safe for my children to walk to meet friends or to the shop as the majority of motorists have little regard for the speed limit. I have also witnessed several near misses on the M20 where the signage has confused drivers.

  It is a ridiculous solution to close a motorway to park lorries and an even more bizarre decision to keep the junction 8 slip rd closed when the traffic is flowing!! Please find a workable solution before summer 2023.
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  BROCK from a retired person's view

  by Pam lockwood, over 3 years ago
  Being retired and a resident in Harrietsham, whene Op Brock is in force it is horrendous when junc 8 off M20 has ALL LANES CLOSED...I collect my grand daughter from her school in Paddock Wood on Fridays taking her home on Sundays....to drive to her school fine,35minutes but seeing the other side of motorway completely blocked with traffic at a slow pace all the way back to junc 5 is demoralising as my return journey is obviously going to take hours....and after all traffic on way home finally leaves m20 and proceeds on A20 to sit in traffic hardly moving,bumper... Continue reading

  Being retired and a resident in Harrietsham, whene Op Brock is in force it is horrendous when junc 8 off M20 has ALL LANES CLOSED...I collect my grand daughter from her school in Paddock Wood on Fridays taking her home on Sundays....to drive to her school fine,35minutes but seeing the other side of motorway completely blocked with traffic at a slow pace all the way back to junc 5 is demoralising as my return journey is obviously going to take hours....and after all traffic on way home finally leaves m20 and proceeds on A20 to sit in traffic hardly moving,bumper to bumper when A20 to Harrietsham is 1mile the journey from A20 to Harrietsham has taken over 1 Hour....just sitting surrounded by huge lorries trying to find a short cut through Harrietsham and Lenham which are quiet villages....to actually go out anywhere when OP Brock is enforced is so dismal because the journey home knowing the backlog of traffic on A20 is daunting and tiring....And any other roads to bypass M20 are also blocked...I have sat in my car coming off at junc 7 to Bearsted and sat in a traffic queue on the roundabout by Vinters Crematorium with no where to go,and police cars stuck too with their sirens going yet no cars can get out of the way....and I have looked at the vans and cars full of very tired workers who have been at work all day and now have to sit in queues for hours....accidents happen because drivers get tired....Operation Brock is not working,and seems to be inforce at any time.

  
  

  
  
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  Ruined summer

  by Shel, over 3 years ago

  Spent most of this year travelling out of Kent during the long, hot summer because of the queues on the M20. What is the point of living in an area where we can enjoy the coast when we can't travel there? So much money lost from the Kent economy because of this stupid idea. Who in their right mind thinks it is ok to shut off motorway lanes to park lorries???? Absolutely bonkers! My heart goes out to the lorry drivers stuck there with no facilities - inhumane and we should be ashamed to treat hard-working hauliers like that. Goodness... Continue reading

  Spent most of this year travelling out of Kent during the long, hot summer because of the queues on the M20. What is the point of living in an area where we can enjoy the coast when we can't travel there? So much money lost from the Kent economy because of this stupid idea. Who in their right mind thinks it is ok to shut off motorway lanes to park lorries???? Absolutely bonkers! My heart goes out to the lorry drivers stuck there with no facilities - inhumane and we should be ashamed to treat hard-working hauliers like that. Goodness knows what our continental friends think about it! It causes congestion, frustration, pollution and rubbish - where's the economic benefit in any of that?
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  Brock - a huge, expensive failure

  by Catherine , over 3 years ago
  I live along the A20 in Hollingbourne with the M20 running behind my property. We had to endure months of inconvenience and overnight noise whilst Highways altered the hard shoulder, turning it into a running lane and to store the barrier. They moved the running traffic closer to our houses increasing the noise and vibrations. Then we have the noise of instating Brock then again when it is stood down. Traffic is diverted onto the A20 causing gridlock and making it impossible to access our properties. HGV’s jumping the queue also use the A20 adding further to the gridlock. The... Continue reading

  I live along the A20 in Hollingbourne with the M20 running behind my property. We had to endure months of inconvenience and overnight noise whilst Highways altered the hard shoulder, turning it into a running lane and to store the barrier. They moved the running traffic closer to our houses increasing the noise and vibrations. Then we have the noise of instating Brock then again when it is stood down. Traffic is diverted onto the A20 causing gridlock and making it impossible to access our properties. HGV’s jumping the queue also use the A20 adding further to the gridlock. The speed limit along the A20 is 60mph and the parallel M20 is reduced to 50mph during Brock. A quick trip to the local shop can take an hour. There are NO crossing points for pedestrians along the A20 in Hollingbourne making use of a car necessary. Brock is a hugely expensive failure as it has not served its purpose at keeping the traffic flowing, Christmas 2020, it’s first proper test showed what a failure it is as all non freight traffic was diverted onto the A20 and the motorway was used as a lorry park. The residents of Hollingbourne and the nearby villages have been sacrificed to keep the roads in Dover clear. The increased incident of accidents during Brock need investigation and the figures published, I know there are many more because 1) I hear them 2) The A20 becomes impassable as the motorway is closed and traffic diverted. Now Highways have decided that the moveable barrier would be better stored at the central reservation and we have many more months of noise and disruption overnight. There are no traffic officers on duty when Brock is in force other than on the motorway, the J8 roundabout and the roundabout just after the exit on the A20 are always blocked making access to the villages of Hollingbourne and Leeds difficult.
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  Constant procession of vehicles on the A.20 outside my property

  by Peter, over 3 years ago
  Living in a property next to the A20 when Operation Brock is in use or being set up is a Nightmare, the constant procession of traffic quite often in both directions makes it extremely difficult to get in and out of my driveway and you quite often have to wait for many minutes before anyone will stop to let you drive in or out. Crossing the road near my property is also very dangerous as no one wants to stop for you. Better control needs to be put in place prevent heavy commercial vehicles and others from using the A20... Continue reading

  Living in a property next to the A20 when Operation Brock is in use or being set up is a Nightmare, the constant procession of traffic quite often in both directions makes it extremely difficult to get in and out of my driveway and you quite often have to wait for many minutes before anyone will stop to let you drive in or out. Crossing the road near my property is also very dangerous as no one wants to stop for you. Better control needs to be put in place prevent heavy commercial vehicles and others from using the A20 unless they need to for deliver or collect goods off the A20 itself. There are far too many vehicles using this road in an attempt to avoid the M20.
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  Unsustainable and Dangerous!

  by LAJ, over 3 years ago
  The turn-off onto the A20 at Junction 8 of the M20 has been made confusing and dangerous. The A20 is awash with mostly foreign HGV vehicles trying to dodge the M20 carpark! This is causing damage to an already overused road which, no doubt, the local taxpayer will have to cough up funds to repair. There has been absolutely no communication between local authorities and the people in charge of Operation Brock. This is illustrated by the sheer madness of starting roadworks in Charing on the A20 cut- through. These roadworks started at the exact time when traffic was bound... Continue reading

  The turn-off onto the A20 at Junction 8 of the M20 has been made confusing and dangerous. The A20 is awash with mostly foreign HGV vehicles trying to dodge the M20 carpark! This is causing damage to an already overused road which, no doubt, the local taxpayer will have to cough up funds to repair. There has been absolutely no communication between local authorities and the people in charge of Operation Brock. This is illustrated by the sheer madness of starting roadworks in Charing on the A20 cut- through. These roadworks started at the exact time when traffic was bound to be its worst during school summer holidays. And, if like me, you want to cross the A20 near Lenham to get up to the North Downs to walk, you are taking your life into your own hands (literally). The speed limit is meant to be 50 but there are too few signs saying this and, as a result, traffic thunders along the road here at terrifying speeds. There should be a speed limit of 40 or 30 as there is in Harrietsham. And there should be police enforcement of some kind, both ticketing HGV users who illegally use the road, and ticketing people who speed. The road simply won't continue to withstand the pressure it is under and people will be killed. And don't even get me started on the ridiculous plan to build 5000 new homes in Lenham (NOT Lenham Heath. Let's be realistic and be clear about where these houses are planned for). To be honest, at the moment, I may as well buy a house on the M20. It would be safer and quieter!! THIS CANNOT GO ON!!!
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  Brock

  by Robin, over 3 years ago
  Operation Brock has ruined our county. When Brock is in operation Maidstone and surrounding areas becomes no go on the roads.HGVs can be found trying to dodge the gridlock and are ruining our already poorly maintained roads. The area resembles an open air rubbish tip and a public lavatory. Why have the Government not explored developing for example Ramsgate or Sheerness or even further afield as ports and this would at least give Dover some relief.

  Operation Brock has ruined our county. When Brock is in operation Maidstone and surrounding areas becomes no go on the roads.HGVs can be found trying to dodge the gridlock and are ruining our already poorly maintained roads. The area resembles an open air rubbish tip and a public lavatory. Why have the Government not explored developing for example Ramsgate or Sheerness or even further afield as ports and this would at least give Dover some relief.
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  Mr Adrian Marchant

  by Adrian , over 3 years ago
  It is a complete farce & a huge inconvenience to all motorists trying to get to Ashford & coastal towns.

  Being a regular user of the M20 in that area I cannot see why so much of it has to be sectioned off for
  “Operation Calamity” when it could be dealt with closer to the ports on the last few miles of the motorway.
  
  

  
  

  
  

  It is a complete farce & a huge inconvenience to all motorists trying to get to Ashford & coastal towns.

  Being a regular user of the M20 in that area I cannot see why so much of it has to be sectioned off for
  “Operation Calamity” when it could be dealt with closer to the ports on the last few miles of the motorway.
  
  

  
  

  
  
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  Lorries everywhere

  by Lorraine, over 3 years ago
  Brock has altered the lives of all of us who live and work in kent

  i live in Maidstone but teach in Medway and as a school we know brock means we have to change our plans at short notice if there’s an accident on either motorway

  there is no country lane I don’t know now to avoid the m20 but it’s the lorries parked up anywhere that they fancy that is dangerous and unsightly , from bluebell hill to on vinters estate

  we were told excess lorries couldn’t come into the county but the first days of summer holidays... Continue reading

  Brock has altered the lives of all of us who live and work in kent

  i live in Maidstone but teach in Medway and as a school we know brock means we have to change our plans at short notice if there’s an accident on either motorway

  there is no country lane I don’t know now to avoid the m20 but it’s the lorries parked up anywhere that they fancy that is dangerous and unsightly , from bluebell hill to on vinters estate

  we were told excess lorries couldn’t come into the county but the first days of summer holidays proved that doesn’t happen