Government to carry out major test of no-deal Brexit road plan involving 150 lorries

The government is to carry out a major test of how well the UK would cope with potential transport chaos in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The “live test” will involve 150 lorries being dispatched from Manston airfield near Ramsgate, Kent, which officials are planning to use as an “HGV holding facility” if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal.

Previous assessments have prompted fears of gridlock on roads in the southeast if a no-deal outcome means lorries need to be stopped for border checks at Dover and other ports.

The test, which will take place on Monday, will determine whether the route from Manston to Dover can cope with the increased traffic that will result from the plan to use the airfield to help reduce congestion.

It will see some lorries released from the airfield during morning rush hour at around 8am, while others will depart later in the morning.

In a letter to lorry companies requesting vehicles for the test, the Department for Transport (DfT) and Kent County Council said they were “ensuring there is an effective plan in place should there be any disruption once the UK has left the EU”.

They added: “The use of Manston airfield as a HGV holding facility is one of the traffic management measures as part of the current draft plan to alleviate congestion on Kent roads in the event of any disruption at the border.”

The proposal is part of the Operation Brock plan to hold lorries in certain areas in the event of border disruption after Brexit.

Commenting after the letter was obtained by Sky News, a DfT spokeswoman said: “We do not want or expect a no-deal scenario and continue to work hard to deliver a deal with the EU.

“However, it is the duty of a responsible government to continue to prepare for all eventualities and contingencies, including a possible no deal.

“We will be testing part of Operation Brock to ensure that, if it needs to be implemented, the system is fully functional.”

It comes amid growing concern over the possibility of a no-deal Brexit, with ongoing doubts over Theresa May’s ability to secure MPs’ approval for her proposed agreement.

On Thursday the Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said his government was now preparing as much for a no-deal outcome as it was for a Brexit on the terms of the proposed withdrawal agreement.

Ms May spoke to the European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, on Friday as she seeks to secure further assurances from Brussels in relation to the controversial Northern Ireland backstop, which dictates what should happen if a trade deal between the UK and EU cannot be agreed.

MPs are set to resume their debate on the proposed agreement next week ahead of a “meaningful vote” on 14 or 15 January.

Dozens of Tory MPs are expected to vote against the deal, as is the DUP, which props up Ms May’s government in the Commons.

The Northern Irish party’s Brexit spokesman, Sammy Wilson, said on Friday that there was no way the DUP could support Ms May’s deal.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s not just because of the regulations which Northern Ireland would be subject to with the backstop, but also the fact we would have to treat the rest of the United Kingdom as a third country, we would not participate in any trade deals which the United Kingdom may enter into in the future and we would find that there would be a border down the Irish Sea, which would impede trade with our biggest trading partner, namely GB.”