been proposed might have been expected to win universal approval.
Perhaps inevitably that has not proved to be the case.
The proposed solution is for a lorry park between Aldington and Sellindge, South of the M20 and North of the high speed railway. Although the site is some way from both villages, it’s not surprising that concerns have been voiced by those who fear that their quality of life may be affected.
As is so often the case with proposals of this kind the devil will be in the detail.
Careful study needs to be made for the access arrangements including, particularly, the proposal for ‘emergency’ access from the A20. Will this truly be for emergencies only? How will it be policed?
What arrangements will be made to minimise the noise and light effect of the proposal? Can we be sure that it will mean the end of the current practice of lorries parking in lay-bys and elsewhere, frequently leaving a considerable mess behind?
Will the police have the resources they need to enforce restrictions of this kind? Will the park be big enough to cope? Will we expect an increase in traffic to and from the continent? And last, but by no means least, who will pay for it? There is a suggestion this could be paid for by a Brit-disc scheme which would require foreign lorries to pay to operate in this country. This is something I’ve been advocating for many years. Its introduction is long overdue.
The park should certainly not be paid for out of local taxation. This is a national problem and its solution should be financed nationally, not locally.
I have been working towards a solution to this problem for years and have held numerous discussions with the relevant agencies and authorities to try to agree on the best way forward. Now, at last, we have a proposal.
But the concerns of local people cannot be ignored. I have been discussing with Damian Collins, the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency, which will include Aldington after the next General Election, and Jenny Hollingsbee, the District Councillor for Sellindge, the possibility of holding a public meeting so that people have a chance to voice their concerns and, so far as possible, have some answers.
I hope we will be able to announce the details of this as soon as possible. |
