Dover preparations

We have know for over three years that Brexit is coming, or there was a very good chance it was. Once it became clear that the "plan" was to leave the SM and CU, the planning and building of infrastructure should have started.

But nothing has been done.

Ongoing work at Dover in 2016 was the completion of the new bulk freight handling facility at the Western Docks, and the removal of two roundabouts on the A20 along Townwall Street. A multistory car park was demolished and some new traffic lanes created to allow queuing of a hundred or so trucks.

Nothing else.

Mainly because there is no room.

You look at the Eastern Docks, and all upgrades have been to speed up the passing of traffic both ways, and getting it out of the port as quickly as possible. There are inspection bays for cars and trucks, but not many. Not for every truck coming off a ferry, nor boarding one.

Eastern Docks lies at the bottom of the cliffs, on mostly reclaimed land in the harbour, there is no room to expand or put in more offices, inspection bays or all the other stuff that is needed when there is a regulatory border between here and Calais. There will be one and it will have to be managed, it will be the UK's duty under international law.

If it waves through goods from the EU then it will have to do so from goods arriving from any other third country under the WTO's most favoured nations rules.

The same is true at the Tunnel's terminal at Folkestone. It is squeezed in at the foot of the north downs and alongside the M20 and Folkestone, there is nowhere for it to expand to. There would have to be infrastructure here too.

It has been suggested that the Port Early facility at Hythe Services could be used. THis would have to expand on a massive scale, though there is room, it would take some time to complete any work. And there is no plans for such work. There is a lorry park in Ashford, but the same situation arises; no plans in place.

Even if there were, the question of how to deal with trucks arriving in Dover having failed to declare paperwork at wherever the facilities will be, and being denied entry into the port or onto a ferry, as the ferry companies have made it clear they have a duty to ensure no vehicles without the correct paperwork for entering the EU will be allowed on board.

200 million customs declarations, and the same number of heath declarations would be needed to be completed each year for goods to cross over the Channel to Calais. Freight companies would have to fill these in, and an army of inspectors would have to check these, thus disproving Brexiteers mantra about reducing EU bureaucracy, instead a mountain of paperwork, additional costs and delays will be created. It was always going to be this way, but it was labelled project fear and dismissed.

It is worth noting that during the pandemic, freight arrived in the UK from Europe and beyond to fill up shelves with no delays, initial shortages were soon fixed and people got on with their adjusted lives. Come January, the new reality will mean delays, paperwork and increased costs. Shortages will last for months, maybe even be permanent.

And the emergency store of medical supplies and drugs for Brexit has been used up by COVID, the warehouses are bare, and there is six months to replenish them.

But there is a plan, the UK will thrive outside the EU.

Brexit has already happened, it cannot be frustrated, and on January 1st 2021, unless an extension is requested by the end of June (this month), all of the above will be needed. Meanwhile, Johnson plays tennis at Buckingham Palace or takes 3 hour power snoozes each afternoon.

There is nothing to worry about. This is all project fear.

Calais is prepared. A new customs handling facility with additional queing has been built and is pretty much ready to go, all built on the old hoverport site.

While the above it true for freight to France and beyond, this is also true of the Irish Sea border, where such checks will also have to happen from goods entering NI.

For Irish businesses, a new super ferry has been comissioned, to bypass the road bridge over Britain, so to eliminate to regulatory borders. It has been commissioned, built and launched.

Ready to go.