“The current proposals create an internal UK border by introducing Kent Access Permits, adding more red tape to the work which hauliers will be obliged to comply with.”. “Mr Gove stresses that it’s essential that traders act now to get ready for new the formalities. Increased policing and numberplate cameras will be used to enforce the Kent Access Permit, which creates an internal border in a bid to prevent queues tailing back from the Port of Dover. What Brexit chaos? We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. A de facto Brexit border is to be introduced for lorry drivers entering Kent to travel on to the EU, Michael Gove has confirmed. Brexit: Police to stop lorries without permits entering Kent in new 'internal border' First time ministers have admitted police will enforce need for ‘Kent access permit’ He added: “The current proposals leave too many questions unanswered and very little time available in which to identify and implement solutions to keep the country trading.”. By … Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. KAPs would be issued to drivers who have received a green or amber result from the online Smart Freight system, which is being developed by the Government in a bid to ensure goods are ready to cross the border before journeys begin. Drivers found heading to Dover or Folkestone without one face being hit with a £300 fine by officers from the police or Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. “Traders need 50,000 more customs intermediaries to handle the mountain of new paperwork after transition but government support to recruit and train those extra people is woefully inadequate. Michael Gove reveals lorry drivers will need a 'border pass' to enter Kent under post-Brexit port arrangements as he admits chaos could see 7,000 lorries queued at Dover Stuck in Kent: How Brexit Red Tape Choked Cross-Border Trade By . International hauliers will need ‘Kent access permit’ to get into county from 1 January, First published on Wed 23 Sep 2020 07.06 BST. Industry leaders have also been concerned. 25 November 2020. On Tuesday, Gove wrote to hauliers to warn that if they do not prepare now for Brexit they could face queues of up to 7,000 trucks in Kent, confirming internal cabinet analysis of the potential disruption caused by the UK’s departure from the single market in January. We know for a fact that they are only too keen to be ready but how on earth can they prepare when there is still no clarity as to what they need to do?” said Burnett. As a University community, we will continue to strive for international co-operation in Europe and around the globe for the enhancement of knowledge and … “Our members are dismayed that the onus for compliance will be placed on drivers themselves, leaving them personally liable for a fine if they do not comply with the new rules. The Department for Transport is consulting on a series of measures as part of Operation Brock contingency planning for possible disruption to cross-Channel trade when the Brexit transition period ends on December 31. A Kent County Council report and host of experts have outlined 11 ways a no-deal Brexit could cause problems in Kent. But sector chiefs have accused the government of failing to do enough in recent weeks over the threat of post-Brexit border delays. Kent. leaked border delivery document seen by the Guardian. The KAP has been considered inside Whitehall for some time as a means of averting traffic chaos in the county, but this is the first time it has been confirmed by the government as an operational plan for next January. By … Each KAP would be valid for 24 hours to cover a single trip. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said enabling goods to continue to flow smoothly is an “underlying objective” in the Government’s negotiations with the EU about their future relationship. It is proposing to require hauliers driving to the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel, Folkestone to be in possession of a Kent Access Permit (KAP). Michael Gove has announced plans to police the Kent border after Brexit Under government plans revealed in a leaked document, KAPs will be issued only to drivers who have completed all the paperwork necessary to board a ferry or Eurotunnel train to Calais. Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help. Post-Brexit border chaos could result in a queue of 7,000 lorries in Kent with heavy goods vehicles having to wait two days to make the crossing to the … Amid confusion for lorry drivers in Kent, logistics firms call for greater transparency to help lessen disruption. “It is essential that traders act now and get ready for new formalities.”. This county, Kent, voted by 60%-40% to leave the EU in Britain’s 2016 referendum, ... English villages wake up to find they're Brexit's new border. The transport minister says Kent gridlock fears after Brexit have been proved unfounded, with freight levels around 15% lower than normal. © 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. “The biggest potential cause of disruption are traders not being ready for controls implemented by EU member states on 1 January 2021,” Gove wrote in the letter seen by the Guardian. The MirrorOnline understands that the new Kent passport scheme will be enforced whether there's a Brexit deal or not. Duncan Buchanan, the group’s policy director for England and Wales, said the Kent permits were “useless” and “pointless” as nobody could enforce them. The money needed to be “issued rather than talked about”, he said. According to the document seen by the Guardian last week, the KAP system “is proposed to be enforced in Kent with a £300 [fine] for port-bound HGVs that travel without a Kent access permit”. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism. You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER . Stuck in Kent: How Brexit Red Tape Choked Cross-Border Trade. Operation Brock is just one part of Operation Fennel, a series of escalating traffic systems designed to cope with up to 7,000 HGVs in Kent. “It is thus important that we put in place plans both to minimise the risk of disruption and to mitigate its impact should it occur.”, Related: Brexit Britain not involved in world’s largest nuclear fusion project. The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. https://t.co/Was8uGODS6, Here's key parts of Gove letter to industry warning of queues of 7,000 trucks in worst case reasonable scenario pic.twitter.com/MBGMXMevUL. Joe Mayes; Lizzy Burden; Bookmark. Brexit, of course, was always going to impact substantially on borders and international trade – though new opportunities look sparse compared to the expected economic damage. Jan 15 2021, 5:30 PM Jan 18 2021, 1:48 PM January 15 2021, 5:30 PM January 18 2021, 1:48 PM “We want to make sure that people use a relatively simple process in order to get what will become known as a Kent access permit,” he told parliament. Lizzy Burden. The letter from Gove also warns of two-day delays for cargo travelling to the EU through Dover or Folkestone ferry or Eurotunnel trains in what it is describing as the “reasonable worst-case scenario”. Mr Yarsley urged ministers to provide reassurance that Smart Freight “will be available and ready to use on 1 January 2021”. The RHA, meanwhile, said its meeting on Thursday with Gove was a “waste of time” as it did not engage with the detailed actions needed to be taken. The letter has enraged industry leaders and the haulage industry, which has been begging for details of the preparations they will have to make as a matter of urgency for the last six months. Tim Reardon, the head of EU exit policy, told the Treasury select committee that government funds had yet to be released for vital infrastructure at Dover port. Simply put, if traders, both in the UK and EU, have not completed the right paperwork, their goods will be stopped when entering the EU and disruption will occur. LORRY drivers arriving at the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel may be required to present a permit under post-Brexit plans to create a "border in Kent". All Rights Reserved. Responding to the worst-case scenario document, Burnett said: “We’ve been consistently warning the government there will be delays at ports but they’re just not engaging with industry on coming up with solutions. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations. A NEW border could come into force between Kent and Sussex because of Brexit, the Government revealed. But we can't do it without you. “It is essential that traders act now and get ready for new formalities.”. Brexit. Michael Gove has warned of Brexit border chaos, with queues of up to 7,000 trucks in Kent and two-day trade delays in a 'worst case scanario' letter to the freight industry. Sturgeon suffering from handling of Salmond affair, polls suggest, ‘We gave as much as we possibly can’ to NHS heroes, Boris claims, Enraged NHS staff plan nationwide protests over 1% pay rise plan, ‘Shake off remaining Brexit ill will’, Lord Frost tells Brussels, Stress, fear and homelessness: The threat looming over families confronted with eviction, Contrasting headlines about Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton goes viral, Watch – Genius sketch reimagines Tories as candidates from The Apprentice, Labour calls for investigation into Palace racism after Meghan and Harry bombshell. and . THE UK Government is to install a border in Kent for lorry drivers coming in from the EU after Brexit. Come clean on logjams at British borders as new Brexit rules kick in, ministers told. The Road Haulage Association (RHA) chief executive, Richard Burnett, said the industry “already knows” there will be queues in Kent as it had been pressing the government to take action for months. He went on: “There is at least initially a risk of some additional friction at the border – notably if goods arrive without having completed the necessary customs and other processes. Drivers, British or foreign, who are travelling, for instance from depots in the Midlands, will need to get a permit before they arrive in Kent if they intend to board a ferry or Eurotunnel train. Huge tailbacks could be the norm in Kent when the Brexit transition ends, a government report reveals. The 'Kent-access permit' is intended to prevent queues of 7,000 lorries through the county after Brexit. Brexit masterplan: Gove handed perfect solution to Kent truck crisis – Liverpool the key MICHAEL Gove has been offered a solution to his warning … A de facto Brexit border is to be introduced for lorry drivers entering Kent to travel on to the EU, Michael Gove has confirmed.. “The answers to the questions that we raised in our letter to Mr Gove and subsequent roundtable meeting last Thursday still remain unanswered – and our concern continues to grow.”, 'Cutting it tight': Dover port still awaiting Brexit infrastructure funds. In case you missed George Eustice saying if there were queues it would be down to "slipshod" EU for not planning. Chris Yarsley, policy manager for road infrastructure at trade association Logistics UK, said: “It is disappointing to see that the Government is expecting significant friction at the border with the EU, after the logistics industry had been given previous reassurances that friction would be minimised. We’re taking back control of our borders, and we’re putting them around Kent. The minister for the Cabinet Office and chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster told the Commons that lorry drivers would need a “Kent access permit” to get into the county from 1 January with “police and ANPR cameras [automatic number plate recognition]” enforcing the system. Earlier this week, the Labour MP Angela Eagle asked: “Who’s going to be patrolling the Kent borders to make sure that no lorry goes into Kent if it hasn’t got that passport? “We are prioritising the smooth movement of outbound HGVs over 7.5 tonnes through Kent to prevent unnecessary queues at the border,” said a spokesman. Despite fears of Dover becoming a carpark only three lorries were turned away One said it would need physical checks to “weed out” those with a KAP and those without, which was a non-starter in their view. Just three lorries turned away at the Kent border on New Year's Day. Joe Mayes. Wednesday November 4, 2020, ... “The Government is seeking to create an additional Inland Border Facility in Kent, and Dover provides a strategic location for this. Construction takes place backdropped by the spire of St Mary's Church, of which parts date back to the 12th century, on a post-Brexit customs clearance border post facility on land that was previously a field between the villages of Mersham and Sevington in the county of Kent, south east England, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. “Where are the border posts for going into Kent going to be? Luke O'Reilly. image caption New border checks could impact on travel times for lorries crossing between Kent and Europe. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told MPs that European hauliers would need a “Kent Access Permit” to get into the county from 1 January. The government department planning the post-Brexit Inland Border Point at Dover has been blasted for a continued “lack of ... her local district council and Kent County ... Picture Google Maps Freight lorries queuing along the M20 / PA. By . WEST END FINAL. Vast Brexit customs clearance centre to be built in Kent This article is more than 7 months old Exclusive: council given only hours’ notice of emergency purchase of 1.2m sq ft ‘Mojo’ site To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here. Stuck in Kent: How Brexit red tape strangled cross-border trade. There are concerns Kent could become a car park if there are delays at the Port. ‘More red tape’: Hauliers prepare for Brexit border in Kent Transport Secretary Grant Shapps warned of "a risk of some additional friction at the border". He expressed fury that the government was trying to shift blame on to the industry. It’s all very well saying we are going to need it, but are we going to have Kent border police or border guards?” she asked at the Treasury select committee on Tuesday. The Cabinet Office said it would be publishing its response of a consultation on use of police “shortly” but said it would be wrong to characterise the Kent access permit as a border control. Scenes of chaotic tailbacks of lorries in Kent after France closed the border with the UK “paints a picture” of what post-transition period Brexit may look like, hauliers have warned. Plans to install a “border in Kent” will create “more red tape” for businesses, leaving hauliers “dismayed”, the logistics industry has warned. View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions, TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle. Fears over 'pressure' of Brexit border checks on Kent County Council's Trading Standard teams. Kent Travel News. ... and this is on both sides of the border,” Heather Jones, ... RBI discuss stimulus exit road map. Britain Brexit Building a Border. Read more, Editorial enquiries, please contact: jack@thelondoneconomic.com, Commercial enquiries, please contact: advertise@thelondoneconomic.com. According to a leaked border delivery document seen by the Guardian, the scheme was due to be approved last week at a meeting of the exit operating committee, chaired by Gove. Journalism in Britain is under threat. These include food shortages, price rises and problems with supplying medicines or even blood donations. Lorries queue on the M20 for the Eurotunnel in Folkestone, Kent, as a 27-acre site near Ashford is developed into a post-Brexit lorry park, 25 September 2020. News alerts Sign me up for news alerts. The government has not said how it will enforce the KAP. It came the day both Logistics UK, which represents the freight industry, and the Port of Dover said the government’s efforts to shift blame for lack of Brexit preparations on to the industry was wrong-headed. Kent Brexit border check trials prompt five-mile lorry tailbacks. “If they don’t have the material required, then it will be the case that through policing, ANPR cameras and other means, we will do our very best to ensure that … constituents [in Kent] are not inconvenienced,” he added. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point. Kent and Brexit The UK will leave the regulations of the European Union at the end of transition period on 31 December 2020. Introducing a hard border between the UK and its biggest trading partner will create disruption and economic costs – two to three times the economic costs of Covid-19 according to a new LSE report. The chair of the committee, the Conservative MP Mel Stride, said the government appeared to be leaving it “incredibly tight” and questioned why “in the latter part of September” there was still “talk about money being available for spades in the ground”. In his letter, Gove said: “Irrespective of the outcome of negotiations between the UK and EU, traders will face new customs controls and processes.