The Port of Dover is set to have its very own lorry park, meaning more than 300 trucks have a pit stop if the plans continue as expected.
The proposed site is in Palmerston Road, Whitfield, kept within the Dover Port radius and verified by Kent County Council who feel the park will lower the amount of lorry disturbances in local towns as well as providing drivers with a decent area to stop for the night. Discussions first began last August.
The plans have been forwarded to the Dover District Council to gain verification by Mattheeuws, a
haulage firm based in Belgium.
The plans hope to set up a decent truck stop on the outskirts of Dover as part of a joint venture with Dover Truck Stop, who already offer HGV drivers more than 100 spaces in a park close by.
The council finally validated their application earlier this week, but permissions are still required by the planning department before the firms can move ahead to the development stage and begin construction on the site, which must also be secured by the port of Dover.
One of the highlights of the planning statement focused on the issues of illegal parking in the area: "The District of Dover has suffered for a long time with the illegal parking of HGV's and was the subject of a Special Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee meeting on the July, 5, 2016 to discuss the issues relating to the overnight parking of heavy goods vehicles in residential areas of Dover."
Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke said: “Everyone knows we need more parking for lorries using our port. Too often trucks park up in lay-bys or clog up residential streets.
“So it’s good to see plans moving forward to provide more lorry parking in the Dover Port Zone – keeping more trucks out of town.
“Yet the plans may encourage more HGVs to use the A2. This once again underlines why the A2 at Dover must be fully dualled.
“And we must ensure the M20 lorry park is also delivered.”
As of yet a decision still needs to be made on the application.