Ever since my election - and particularly since the nightmare of last summer - I have been campaigning for an alternative to closing the M20 when there is disruption at the Channel crossings. I therefore welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement in November that £250 million will be made available to build a lorry park.
Highways England are now holding a public consultation on where it should be built. The proposed sites are both near junction 11 of the M20 near Stanford and can be easily accessed from the motorway.
The consultation asks for views on the suitability of each site, and on how the lorry park should be operated. The consultation documents, which explain the advantages and disadvantages of each site, can be found online here.
I encourage you to make your voice heard by responding to the consultation. You can email [email protected], write to M20 Lorry Area, Highways England, Bridge House, 1 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4LZ, or respond online via the link above. The deadline for responses is 25th January.
I have also pressed Ministers for action on lorries in lay-bys and resurfacing of the M20, as many residents have raised the problem of the noisy surface with me. Some steps have been taken on HGVs, for example Highways England will install metal barriers at Junction 8 to prevent lorries parking there. Kent County Council has also set up a ‘Lorry Watch’ scheme, whereby local volunteers collect information about suspicious vehicles, which is then passed on to the police. If you are interested in setting up a local Lorry Watch, email [email protected] or call 0300 412457 for more information.
The new lorry park should also help reduce illegal parking, however the £250 million settlement does not include funds for resurfacing the M20. I will continue to campaign on both these issues.
