Parking lorries at Manston airport during Operation Stack has been dismissed as a short term solution by businesses caught up in the chaos.

Kent firms said the transfer of lorries to the airfield, which closed in May last year, will only divert traffic problems to another part of the county.

This week, the government revealed as many as 2,000 vehicles will be sent to the 800 acre site when Operation Stack is enforced.

Sections of the M20 will still become a lorry park when there is a blockage to crossing the Channel but ministers hope plans to use the airfield will alleviate the problem.

Freight carrying perishable goods will be given priority and will be sent directly to their crossing, rather than having to queue on the M20 or at Manston.

Federation of Small Businesses national chairman John Allan said: “We welcome the government’s immediate attempts to ease congestion on the M20 and the decision to filter freight traffic and prioritise live and perishable loads, hazardous good and items critical to medical and humanitarian welfare.

“But we remain concerned that this short-term solution could displace traffic chaos to the vicinity around Manston airport.

“This plan must ensure that, as haulage is diverted across the county, disruption in other areas of Kent is kept to a minimum.

“There remains a clear need to deliver a long-term solution to resolve the issue once and for all.”

The Freight Transport Association estimates that it has cost the haulage industry £750,000 per day, and £250 million to the UK economy as a whole. The value of perished fresh produce alone exceeds £10 million.

Dover-based logistics firm Priority Freight has seen a significant increase in emergency freight requests over the past two months.

Managing director Neal Williams said: “The use of Manston airport as a lorry park will simply move the disruption and road congestion to east Kent, and will not provide enough capacity to accommodate the number of trucks we’ve seen parked on the M20 in July.

“Most importantly, it will not solve the underlying issues and a longer-term resolution is still required to deal with the source of the problem.

“Politicians and countries need to take responsibility for the migrant crisis and find a compassionate solution to help the desperate men, women and children seeking refuge from other regions of the world.”

The Port of Dover, which handles more than £100 billion of trade through its docks each year, welcomed the Manston move but agreed the fix was short term.

Chief executive Tim Waggott said: “Attention should not slip away from finding a solution that provides lasting resilience at this nationally important strategic freight corridor.

“We have some concerns over the practicalities of the solution proposed but remain committed to working with all our partners to maintain traffic fluidity.”