News Maidstone residents have their say on Op Brock
Residents of Maidstone have been telling the Council what they think of Operation Brock and how it affects their lives.
Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is carrying out a survey to find out exactly what people think and how the traffic system on the M20 has impacted the residents and businesses in the borough.
The MBC survey has seen hundreds of people already sharing their experiences describing Op Brock as disastrous, madness and totally inconsiderate. Others have voiced their concerns saying it is dangerous, whilst more residents have suggested ideas on how to improve the situation for everyone involved.
Cllr David Burton, Leader of the Council said:
I am delighted that so many people have taken the time to respond to the survey and tell us exactly what they think about Operation Brock.Whilst their responses aren’t surprising we really do need to hear how it has impacted the people of Maidstone so that we can use their responses and ideas to call for change in the way the traffic system is implemented on the M20. This information will help understand how it impacts our residents and businesses and provide us with real experiences and build a picture of the environmental, social and economic situation.
With the Bank Holiday on the horizon the M20 is expected to be busy again across the weekend as people head to and from Europe. The MBC survey gives people the opportunity to share their experiences of using Op Brock. Open until 2 October it can be accessed here: Maidstone Have Your Say On Op Brock
David Burton added:
I strongly feel that Op Brock cannot be a permanent solution and looking at the responses from some of our residents I’m not alone in that thought. There is just not sufficient off- road lorry parking in the vicinity of the ports and this has to be increased and improved to cope with the high freight and tourist traffic numbers at peak times.As a Council we are determined to make Maidstone a borough that works for everyone, with residents and local businesses at the heart of our decision making. I would encourage everyone to take part in this survey and help us make a change to this current situation so that I can take this evidence to Government to demand action to prevent this from carrying on.
One of the MBC priorities is Homes and Communities and the Op Brock survey reflects this.