Waterbrook Inland Border Facility, Ashford Information Booklet
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Waterbrook Inland Border Facility, Ashford Information Booklet Waterbrook Inland Border Facility The United Kingdom (UK) has left the European Union (EU) and a transition period is in place until 31 December 2020. This booklet explains the Government’s plans to introduce an inland border facility at Waterbrook, Ashford that will provide customs and transit checks required for hauliers from 1 January 2021. The booklet also details how interested individuals and organisations can submit comments on the proposals. Background Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is a new approval is required for the site’s use as progressing plans for use of the Waterbrook site as an inland border facility. an inland border facility. The inland border facility proposals are temporary The site is proposed to act as a location for starting and are designed to ensure no significant or long- and ending transit movements of goods to and from term environmental effects. HMRC, alongside other the UK. The proposals include parking areas for HGVs Government departments, has reviewed the options for and other vehicles as well as security measures and use of the site and, based on current planning, expect facilities to enable the checking of vehicles and goods the site to be needed for up to two years. entering and exiting the site. HMRC is engaging with community and technical If wider traffic management measures were activated, stakeholders. You can view copies of letters UK Border Force also plans to carry out document which were sent to residents on our website at checks on consignments covered by the Convention www.inlandborderfacilities.uk on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Inland border facility location HMRC’s proposed use of the site will require The inland border facility is located just outside approval, which the Government is seeking under the Ashford, Kent on the A2070, in close proximity to the requirements of a Special Development Order (SDO). M20 between junction 10 and the recently constructed junction 10a. In September 2019, HMRC secured a temporary approval via a Special Development Order (SDO) for The site is an existing truck stop and its location an inland border facility at Waterbrook, Ashford. As the provides direct connectivity to the Port of Dover temporary approval expires on 31 December 2020, and Eurotunnel. How to comment on the proposals This booklet provides information about the Government’s proposals for the Waterbrook Inland Border Facility. If you would like to submit comments about the Waterbrook Inland Border Facility proposal, please complete a feedback form and post to: Freepost Inland Border Facilities Details about how the inland border facility will operate can also be viewed on our website at www.inlandborderfacilities.uk where you can also provide your comments on the proposals online. Why do we need inland border facilities? Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Transport (DfT) are engaging with interested individuals and organisations to explain the need for inland border facilities at locations across the country. Our dedicated website www.inlandborderfacilities.uk sets out further details of the inland border facilities that will provide customs checks required for hauliers from 1 January 2021. The current rules on trade, travel, and businesses for the EU and UK continue to apply during the transition period until new rules are brought into effect from 1 January 2021. The new rules will require additional customs and transit checks. Where there is no space at ports for new border infrastructure, the Government proposes to build new inland border facilities where these checks and other activities will take place. Waterbrook Avenue Waterbrook Site exit Inland Border Facility Site entry Crown Copyright and database right 2020 Contains data from OS Zoomstack Access & vehicle movement plan 1 Highways and transport Traffic management By providing additional customs clearance capacity, the Waterbrook Inland Border Facility will help facilitate the flow of trade and support strategic traffic management in Kent. As part of the proposals, the number of HGVs that can be stationed at the Waterbrook site at any one time will be limited to 475. Traffic impacts on the local and Strategic Road Network are being assessed and managed in conjunction with local and national stakeholders. When the site is operational, monitoring and reporting of potential traffic effects on neighbouring roads caused by vehicles travelling to and from the Waterbrook Inland Border Facility may be carried out, if required. Where necessary, mitigation would be implemented through a Traffic Management Plan (TMP). If wider traffic management measures were activated, certain perishable goods would need to be prioritised for onward travel and would be checked at Waterbrook. Traffic modelling Operation Brock Further traffic modelling for M20 junction 10a is still ongoing, the findings from which will be reported in the Transport Statement. HMRC Operation Brock is a Kent traffic management system that intends to work with Highways England to manage the Strategic Road can be deployed to manage Network once the site is in operation. the flow of HGVs and reduce An Operational Management Plan (OMP) is being developed which traffic congestion in the event of includes contingency measures to protect the local roads and Strategic cross-Channel disruption. It was Road Network in the event of accidents and delays. developed by Highways England, the Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) Prominent road signage and DfT in 2018 as an alternative to Operation Stack in preparation There will be prominent road signage to and from the Dover ports and for the UK’s departure from the Eurotunnel that directs HGV drivers to the inland border facility entrance. European Union. It has since There will also be signs outside the site entrance to advise hauliers been revised in preparation for about the use of site facilities and providing site contact details. the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. Traffic flow & access Operation Brock has multiple Directing vehicles to the inland border facility phases that can be activated Most HGVs accessing the site will travel up the M20, exiting at depending on the scale of the junction 10a, before taking the A2070 westbound and exiting onto disruption. Unlike Operation Waterbrook Avenue. Stack, it allows the M20 to remain open for general, though reduced, From the North use by passenger vehicles HGVs accessing the site from the north will exit the M20 at junction 10. through the use of a ‘contraflow’ in which HGVs can be queued. From the South Coast and Kent This contraflow is deployed using HGVs travelling from the South Coast will take the A259 and A2070 a moveable barrier between before existing onto Waterbrook Avenue, whilst some HGVs from Kent junctions 8 and 9 of the M20. will take the A28 and A2070 before exiting onto Waterbrook Avenue. Entry and exit points at the facility Separate exit and entry points at the site have been designed so as to present a one way system. Access to the site is gained from a new link road running from Waterbrook Avenue at the roundabout which also serves the Ashford International Truck Stop. Vehicles will enter the site through a security marshalled access point and egress will take place through the existing security access / egress point which is immediately south of the Arrowhead Road roundabout at which point vehicles will turn left to exit the site. Five swim lanes will be installed within the site to facilitate processing, reduce queue lengths and minimise impact on the Strategic Road Network 2 Environment As part of the site-specific proposals for the inland border facility, Biodiversity environmental studies continue to be carried out and relevant bodies, Potential scheme impacts including the Environment Agency, Natural England and Historic on local biodiversity are England continue to be engaged about the use of the site. being assessed through The inland border facility proposals are temporary and are designed to a number of ecological ensure no significant or long-term environmental effects. HMRC, alongside studies. Where impacts other Government departments, has reviewed the options for use of the are identified, appropriate site and, based on current planning, expect the site to be needed for up to mitigation will be two years. implemented to ensure Given the temporary nature of the inland border facilities, reinstatement no adverse impacts on plans will be prepared for approval which can be implemented when any local biodiversity. inland border facility activities cease. The ecological studies As part of the SDO approval, a study of the likely environmental effects being undertaken will be produced. This study will have consideration of air quality, cultural include an analysis of heritage, landscape and visual effects, biodiversity, road drainage and water, the habitats on site and and noise. The study will also consider geology and soils, material assets studies of protected and waste, population and health, and climate. species. Covid-19 readiness To limit risks from the Covid-19 virus, there will be hot and cold running water, hand cleaning facilities and provision of drinking water. The site has been designed taking social distancing into consideration, and the latest Government guidelines on Covid-19 will be followed in all circumstances. How the site will operate Subject to approval, the site will become operational personnel, and emergency response staff. Closed from 1 January 2021 with HMRC responsible for circuit television cameras (CCTV) are positioned site activities. The site would be managed by an across the site to monitor site activities. appointed contractor. After entering the site, HGVs will visit the Vehicle Approximately 120 full time staff are expected on Entry Check Point before being directed to a vacant the site in shift patterns and there will be parking HGV space.