Ministers plan to turn port of Ramsgate into the 'new Dover' under No Deal Brexit plans
TRANSPORT ministers are planning to transform the port of Ramsgate into a new Dover under a no deal Brexit.
It is thought that the Kent seaside town could take many of the lorries that now use the Dover-Calais route in a bid to solve a crippling bottleneck there.
France is expected to bring the main Channel crossing to a near standstill by enforcing customs checks if there is no exit agreement by March.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has set aside £200 million to massively expand shipping operations between Ramsgate and Belgian ports.
The move is also intended to put pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron to minimize any new frontier checks.
But other Government figures have rubbished the idea.
most read in politics
A Cabinet source said: “There is no way Ramsgate will be ready in time for Brexit.
“It will take years, and will include building a new motorway there, unless Grayling fancies jamming up the A229.”
Mr Grayling’s plan includes a major dredging operation, as Ramsgate’s approaches are too shallow to take large ferries. An average of 10,000 lorries pass through Dover every day and are typically processed within two minutes.
The Port of Dover estimates that a delay of just 2 extra minutes to check and process each lorry would cause queues of over 17 miles.
Crowd screams at man spotted on a burning yacht in Ramsgate Marina to jump as flames engulf boatncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErKynZpOke7a3jqecsKtfbIRzgZNsamiqkaLAqK3TnmSnnadisbDCxKtka2hgoratecinrZ6rpGQ%3D