by political editor Paul Francis

Plans to build a huge lorry park off the M20 to cope with Operation Stack have been dealt a blow after the government said it won't pay for it.

Kent County Council has been pushing for a lorry park to be built on a 70-acre site off the M20 at Aldington as a solution to the problem of HGVs being parked along the motorway when Operation Stack is implemented.

But the authority has always insisted the costs - estimated at £35m - should be met by the government rather than council taxpayers.

Now the government has signalled that it has no money available to do so.

The news comes in a decision by ministers to reject a bid by the county council to secure funding through the Sustainable Communities Act, legislation enabling councils to promote schemes that they consider would improve the economic or environmental well-being of the area.

The bid for the lorry park, which could hold 3,000 HGVs, was among 300 ideas submitted by councils to the government but has not been given the green light.

In its formal response rejecting the bid, the government said:

"In relation to the specific proposal to construct a lorry park in Kent, it is understood that the costs are likely to greatly exceed £35m due to the need for significant works to construct a new junction off the motorway.

"The Highways Agency has no objection to the lorry park being created, however government funding is not available for this project."

Plans for the lorry park were recently included in a six-point plan of major transport initiatives totalling £1.7bn that KCC said was essential to keep the county moving.

Cllr Nick Chard (Con), cabinet member for highways, said: "Clearly,this announcement is not helpful. We really do want the green light from government that it will fund it and then we can move forward."

However, local residents who have campaigned against the lorry park said KCC should now abandon the idea.

Matt Baldwin, who lives near the site and is a member of the campaign group Lorry Park Alliance, said: "I am surprised that KCC is pursuing the lorry park when it has no money to fund it and is resting all its hopes in a solution it cannot pay for and nobody really wants.

"KCC should now look more seriously at other sites that have been put forward. It should shelve this plan and look at other options."