In February of this year, it was announced that there would be a new Brexit customs clearance lorry park in Dover to conduct checks to ensure that goods are accompanied with the correct documentation. After a long battle with local residents, who believe they weren’t appropriately informed of the plans for the lorry park, a compromise has been reached and the plans have been significantly downsized.

From October 2021, additional customs checks are going to be put into place. This means that large lorry parks allocated for customs checks will need to be created. They will be utilised as a space to conduct documentation and physical checks on goods that are being transported between Great Britain and the EU. One proposed plan was to utilise some farmland in Dover to create a large Brexit customs clearance park with the capacity to accommodate 1,200 lorries.

The plans for the Dover customs clearance park have been deemed controversial after local residents fought back, arguing that the creation of the park would create light and sound pollution and would cut through the site of an ancient Roman way/road. Local residents also claimed that they weren’t informed about the plans before the announcement, preventing them from opposing the lorry park.

A compromise was made to ensure that local residents were appeased and to avoid conflict. The site has been moved 450 metres away from homes and reduced to hold a capacity of 96 vehicles with 20 additional spaces to accommodate reversing lorries. This compromise will mean that the size of the space will be reduced to just a quarter of what it once was, enabling residents to enjoy the scenery in the area without worry over noise or light pollution. With the plans for the Dover site having changed fairly drastically, it is thought that drivers will be directed to the Ashford site at Folkestone instead when necessary.

What are your thoughts on the changes to the lorry park plan? Get in touch via our social media and let us know!