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168 
Operation Stack revamp plans grind to a halt
Page 12
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A county councillor 'pleads guilty to holding up the scheme' and says
Droposals failed to consider facilities for drivers. Chris Tindall reports.
il.IFFOLK COUNTY Council ias defended its objections to in overhaul of Felixstowe's :mergency truck parking nitiative Operation Stack and ccuses the Highways Agency HA) of treating hauliers in a avalier fashion.
Plans for the police-led Irocedure to be made safer and lore efficient have ground to a alt with the five bodies involved 3iling to agree on an alternative the current Operation Stack rrangements. which convert the 141 into a vast truck park when le Port of Felixstowe is closed by oor weather.
The issue reached a head December when a meeting etween the HA, the county rid district councils, the Port of Felixstowe and police resulted in the dropping of a plan to stack hundreds of trucks on the old A45 running parallel to the A14.
Another option, tabled by Orwell Crossing Lorry Park operator Karl Rout, is for his site to be used for lorry parking when the port is closed (CM 13 September).
Guy McGregor, county councillor and cabinet member. claims the HA commissioned consultants to look at how to overhaul Operation Stack, hut failed to consult the county or district councils.
He adds that its report failed to consider facilities such as toilets and refreshments, and warns that the plan would force trucks down inadequate roads: "This is something that an extremist would be unwilling to contemplate.
-Had I agreed to those proposals, and I was under pressure to, and consequently there was a fatality, there would be questions about who agreed to this. If I am accused of holding the scheme up I plead guilty."
Suffolk Police Inspector Trevor Sharman says: "It's unfortunate that some months into that process one of the partners failed to support any change to the plan .The debate continues as to what we are going to do in respect of operators. Ifs frustrating because we always hoped to have something in place by our windy season.
A further meeting will take place this week.
An HA spokeswoman claims the county and district council "have been fully involved in the process since the beginning".
She adds: "We will continue to work closely with and engage with our key partners and stakeholders to ensure that the best solution is taken forward."
• Operation Stack was rolled out last week following high winds at the container port; Inspector Sharman says there was "significant disruption" to all vehicles travelling into Felixstowe.
A spokesman for the port adds: "There is an issue on the run-up to the Dockspur roundabout: trucks stack up in both lanes. We are appealing for all truck port traffic to get into the right-hand lane early,"