Plans by Kent County Council for a lorry park at Westenhanger near Folkestone have been attacked by the leader of Shepway council.

The proposal has also come under fire from the county council’s Green councillor Martin Whybrow, who said the idea for three new parks were a sticking plaster solution to the problem of increased congestion on Kent’s main roads and motorways.

Cllr David Monk, the Conservative leader of Shepway, said KCC had ignored his authority’s representations opposing the scheme for Westenhanger, off the M20 at Junction 11 and other sites would be better.

“I do not support KCC’s proposal for a new lorry park at Westenhanger. Our objections have not been taken into account and these will be made again to KCC in the strongest possible terms."

"I don’t believe that proper consideration has been given by KCC to the range of other site possibilities, to the land values, nor visual impact of building a large lorry park on this highly visible greenfield site, or to the other planning considerations that this council has raised."

The scheme was not incorporated into Shepway’s planning blueprint and would be considered as a major departure from the council’s existing planning policy, he added.

Meanwhile, criticism has also come from the Green party.

County councillor Martin Whybrow, who represents Hythe, said: “KCC is dealing with the symptoms and not the cause. If you look at the predictions for traffic growth, they are fairly horrendous…putting in a few lorry parks will be the least of our problems and is not a sustainable solution.”

He said KCC should focus on pressing for more freight to be carried on trains. “Far more freight travels on roads in the UK than it does on the continent and there is a major opportunity with the Channel Tunnel.”

Putting in a few lorry parks will be the least of our problems and is not a sustainable solution. KCC member for Hythe, Martin Whybrow

Unless it was made illegal, HGV drivers would continue to stop in lay-bys and in residential side streets because they could not afford the charge for using an official site, he added.

County transport chiefs say they want to open the Westenhanger site first but under its timetable will not open until 2018.

KCC believes its plans for three new round-the-clock lorry parks, together capable of holding 815 HGvs, will help address the problems caused by Operation Stack when the M20 is closed.

It also says they will help reduce the number of HGVs that currently park unofficially in residential areas.

The lorry park plans have been welcomed by hauliers’ groups.

The Tunbridge Wells-based Freight Transport Association said extra capacity was needed.
“There is a shortage of lorry parking places nationally but we have really seen problem in Kent because of the huge amount of freight that passes through the county. There are simply not enough places to stop,” said Natalie Chapman.

“The big hurdle to get over is planning permission and we really need a national strategy on it.”

The number of HGVs using the M20 daily is predicted to be 6,201 by next year but that will rise to 7,115 lorries a day by 2020.

The three possible 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 commercial operators.

The idea is to be considered by county councilors next week (Weds 17).