Ashford, Kent: More details have emerged about the government’s decision to buy a 27-acre site near Ashford, Kent, with the transport minister admitting that it could be used as a border control post and a temporary lorry park.
In a letter to residents living near the site, the Department for Transport (DfT) said it was planning “two primary uses”.
Transport Minister Rachel Maclean wrote: “Government departments envisage using it as a permanent site for facilities related to future border processes.
“The site may also be used as a contingency lorry holding area for the particular, foreseeable risk of significant disruption at the end of the transition period.”
Damian Green, the Conservative MP for Ashford, has opposed the plans to use the site as a “lorry park” because of how close it would be to new housing developments and possible effects on access to the town’s hospital.
But he said he would not be against using some of the site for border-related checks.
A DfT spokeswoman said: “This site will form part of our ongoing plans to help ensure the free flow of freight at the border as we make our new start at the end of the transition period.”
