Thirteen miles of the M20 could be turned into a lorry park if no trade deal is agreed before Brexit
The move, dubbed Operation Brock, would keep two lanes of the London to Dover motorway open - unlike the current system Operation Stack
MINISTERS last night unveiled the first concrete “no deal” disaster plan – turning 13 miles of motorway into a lorry park – in a bold bid to pile pressure on Brussels.
Transport chiefs have outlined how the M20 in Kent could be used to stack 2,000 HGVs if they were held up at ports after any collapse of Brexit negotiations.
If no deal can be secured on trade terms by next March, Britain risks border chaos with imports and exports backed up at ports.
Theresa May has previously been criticised for failing to properly plan for that scenario, despite telling Brussels she would walk away from the negotiating table if they did not offer her a good deal.
The new Operation Brock will keep two lanes of the vital lifeline between London and the Dover open if implemented, unlike predecessor Operation Stack that wrought chaos on the South East.
Highways England have earmarked £25million for preparation, including buying tens of thousands of orange cones to set up a “contraflow system” between Junction 8 near Maidstone and Junction 9 of the near Ashford.
But last night Government sources admitted their contingency planning will involve ripping up M20 crash barriers as the lane direction will need to be altered if the plan was triggered.
UK negotiators and their EU counterparts are currently deadlocked on what sort of customs relationship Britain will have with Brussels when we leave, heightening fears talks will end without an agreement.
While not formally acknowledging Operation Brock was devised because of fears over a “no deal” Brexit, the Government promised it would be ready to go by early 2019 — when the UK is due to formally exit.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has been one a just a handful of Cabinet Ministers urging Theresa May to take preparations for Britain crashing out of the EU without a deal more seriously.
The Brexiteer has also been drawing up secret plans to keep planes flying over European airspace even if talks with Brussels end in deadlock on 29 March next year.
Other leavers in the Cabinet believe the doomsday scenario of backlog at ports could be avoided with a “light touch option” that could see trade with Europe continue despite a breakdown of relations on exit day.
The secret plot would see only spot checks on some imports arriving in the UK from Europe in the first few months after Britain’s exit, if no formal agreement on trade has been reached.
Last night Labour MP Stephen Doughty slammed the plans saying: “The Government is beginning contingency planning for traffic delays due to customs hold-ups, which means they are fully aware of the logistical nightmare they are going to cause through their ludicrous decision to leave the Customs Union.”
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In a separate development, Theresa May last night admitted that she wants to hand over hundreds of millions pounds to remain linked to the EU's nuclear regulator.
The PM said she was willing to pay for access to Euratom after Brexit, provided the country gets “a suitable level of influence” within it.
In a speech at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, she said she was willing to discuss a deal with the EU as soon as possible over access to the agency, which Britain has been a member of since 1973.
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