Cross-channel traffic disruption
Areas of the district, particularly Hawkinge, the villages of Newington and Peene and around the A259 in Folkestone, can be significantly impacted when there are high volumes of cross-channel traffic and freight, or during delays caused by weather, strikes or unexpected disruption.
We know that the knock-on effects of this disruption can make it difficult for residents to go about their normal lives, get to work or school or attend medical appointments. It also presents problems for local industry when delays on the transport network affect deliveries both to and from businesses.
Community impact
The council is not responsible for maintaining or running the road network or traffic enforcement. This falls under National Highways, Kent Highways and Kent Police respectively.
When problems caused by cross-channel traffic disruption occur in our district they are fed back to the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF). This is a partnership of organisations, including local councils and emergency services, who work to improve resilience and ensure a co-ordinated response to emergencies that affect communities in the county.
Entry Exit System (EES)
The European Union (EU) is planning to introduce the EU Entry/Exit System, which is an automated system for registering travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries.
A date for this to start has not been finalised but it is expected to be during Autumn 2024.
The checks will require travellers passing through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel on their way to Europe to register facial and fingerprint scans. Processing people through the system will naturally take longer than it does now.
This could lead to significant delays and in April the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee invited representatives from Port of Dover, Eurotunnel, Kent County Council, Dover District Council and town and parish councils to talk about preparedness and share concerns about how the system may affect local communities.
Useful links and local contacts
In the event of disruption, please find links to local services should you need to check if there are any changes to services.
Traffic:
For the latest updates follow @highwaysSEAST @NationalHways @KentHighways
Public transport:
To keep up to date with any service disruption see:
https://www.stagecoachbus.com or @StagecoachSE
https://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk or @SERailway
Health services:
For further detail please see this link to Folkestone’s Royal Victoria Hospital urgent treatment centre.