For years residents near the M20 have complained of drivers leaving rubbish - including bags of human waste - in their streets.

Now Kent County Council hopes a series of lorry parks across Kent could ease the problems caused by an increasing number of HGVs parking unofficially near homes and industrial areas.

The council has identified three possible sites for round-the-clock, commercially run lorry parks which could also double as holding areas when Operation Stack is implemented and the M20 is closed.

A report now says KCC is to abandon plans for a large-scale lorry park at Aldington off the M20 at Ashford to cope with Operation Stack saying it would cost too much.

The potential new sites are:

• Westenhanger, adjacent to Stop24, on the M20 at Junction 11 - 300 places

• Land adjacent to Ashford International Truckstop - 278 places

• White Cliffs Business Park, Dover - 237 places

KCC says all three could be developed without the need for major road improvements, such as slip roads or motorway junctions. The council will now look to find potential operators.

Cllr David Brazier (Con), cabinet member for transport, said: “Being home to both the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel, Kent is the UK’s front door to Europe for road freight, with nearly 90% of all heavy goods vehicles travelling between the UK and continental Europe doing so via the county.”

He added: “This movement of goods and materials is vital to the UK’s economy but does create a number of issues for Kent’s residents. One particular issue is a sizeable number of complaints about HGVs parking in inappropriate locations, near residential areas and the resulting noise, nuisance, litter and anti-social behaviour.”

On the original plan for a park to cope with Operation Stack, capable of holding as many as 2,000 HGVs, the report states:

“A facility on this scale catering for ad hoc occurrences of Operation Stack could not provide the economic case to attract funding from Government.”

Councillors will consider the proposals at a meeting next week.