From:local resident (name withheld)
Sent:25 Apr 2008 15.34
To:Richard.alderton@ashford.gov.ukCC: Robert.bliss@shepway.gov.uk; paul.carter@kent.gov.uk; Mick.Sutch@kent.gov.uk; Paul.Clokie@ashford.gov.uk; greend@parliament.uk; Howardm@parliament.uk; enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk; sellindgesludge@hotmail.co.uk
Subject: Lorry Park - Sellindge and Aldington
Dear Sir,
I must voice my opinion with regard to the proposal to site a lorry park between Sellindge and Aldington.
The site itself is in the village of Sellindge and as a resident and knowing the amount of lorries which already come through the village the scheme would only cause more and more chaos to the already busy main road.
Do reconsider.
Yours faithfully
From:local resident (name withheld)
Sent: 25 Apr 2008 15:27
Subject: (no subject)
To:Richard.alderton@ashford.gov.ukCC: paul.carter@kent.gov.uk; Mick.Sutch@kent.gov.uk; Paul.Carter@kent.gov.uk; Paul.Clokie@ashford.gov.uk; Richard.Alderton@ashford.gov.uk; greend@parliament.uk; Howardm@parliament.uk; enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk; sellers-support-reply@amazon.co.uk; sellindgesludge@hotmail.co.uk
Dear Sir,
I must protest about the current plans to site a lorry park in Sellindge/Aldington area. The area concerned is of natural beauty and KCC are trying to 'pull the wool over our eyes', by telling us it is a disused piece of land.
This part of Kent should not have to suffer schemes like this and particularly not in areas of natural beauty.
Yours
From:local resident (name withheld)
Sent: 25 Apr 2008 15:19
Subject: (no subject)
To:Richard.alderton@ashford.gov.ukCC: Paul.Carter@kent.gov.uk; Robert.bliss@shepway.gov.uk; editorial@kosmedia.co.uk; Mick.Sutch@kent.gov.uk; Paul.Clokie@ashford.gov.uk; greend@parliament.uk; Howardm@parliament.uk; enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk; sellindgesludge@hotmail.co.uk
Sir,
So KCC seem to be trying to destroy this part of the Garden of England by building a lorry park between Sellindge and Aldington.
The villagers are in uproar - how dare the KCC try to spoil the Garden of England by proposing such a scheme ?
As you may know Sellindge is a small farming community and already houses many other facilities such as the High Speed Rail link and lorries which make their way from the Lympne Industrial site and which by the way is now being enlarged by some 50-70%.
To build a lorry park on what is obviously an area of outstanding natural beauty with wildlife and traditional woodland flowers there already, is not a good scheme.
We fear that the KCC Conservative party will never be voted for again.
In addition I would add that it seems to be that KCC are doing all they can to ensure The Garden of England will gradually become the Dustbin of England.
Yours,
From:local resident (name withheld)
Sent: 23 Apr 2008 14:27
To:paul.carter@kent.gov.uk
Subject: Proposed Lorry Park
So your true intentions for a lorry park in Kent are now revealed in the recent article in Around Kent, much as everyone suspected. No wonder that this part of a once beautiful county are so much against it. How can Kent County Council propose such a thing when their remit should be to PROTECT the County, not destroy it?????? Surely, no one will ever elect a Tory KCC in future.
From: local resident (name withheld)
Sent: 20 March 2008 11.19
To: Carter, Paul - LEADER
Subject: Anaerobic Digestion and Lorry Park at Sellindge.
Dear Sirs
As a resident of Sellindge on the A20, I have witnessed the increase of heavy traffic, and a lorry park that would over double the population of Sellindge with all the drivers at the Ashford end, and a smelly dirty industrial waste plant the Folkestone end I want to voice my objections to in the strongest manner. The lorry park would be quite inadequate as over 9000 lorries pass daily on the M20 and the rate of increase is supposed to be by 15% yearly and int he plans Ref YO8/0124/SH, for the sludge plant it guesses an extra 150 heavy lorry movements daily, the existing A20 is not up to that amount of traffic as it is in need of constant repair as large holes appear daily.
The light pollution, smells, noise and the death of wild life is not viable. When the Converter station was built in Church Lane, it was on a nesting site where all the plovers/lapwings nested, they were driven away and have not come back to any nearby location. I noticed yesterday that where all the trees have been cut down near the Lympne Industrial Estate that there are dead badgers, so their habitat has been disturbed already. We in Sellindge and the surrounding villages do not want the Garden of England to be covered with concrete and an industrial waste plant here. It is unsuitable planning. Yours sincerely.
From: local resident (name withheld)
Sent: 11 April 2008 10:34
To: Carter, Paul - LEADER
Subject: Sellindge Sludge
I am emailing you not surprisingly to express our concern over the proposals for a Sludge Site and Lorry park in and around Sellindge. My husband and I have taken a huge financial risk buying a property in Sellindge but felt the quality of life for our two daughters was worth the risk.
We moved to Sellindge last February and have enjoyed every day living in the village. Our daughters attend the nursery and our eldest will be starting the local primary school in September.
Now we hear the proposals for destroying our community we are wondering why we tried to improve our quality of life by moving out of town. We both work so hard and feel great bitterness and resentment that such proposals can and will negatively affect our lives if allowed to go ahead.
My concerns at present are the quality of life that will be affected but I am sure if this goes ahead it will have a huge financial implication on us. Our home is our home but also our childrens futures, which some people who live somewhere else seem quite happy to take away from us as it doesn't affect them !!
My husband and I strongly oppose the plans and desparately hope sense prevails and both proposals are stopped !!
Paul Carter's response was the same to these................
Sent: as appropriate
From: Paul.Carter@kent.gov.uk
Subject: RE: as appropriate
Dear .................
RE: PROPOSED LORRY PARK
Thank you for taking the time to write to me about the proposal to create a lorry park adjacent to the M20 east of Sellindge.
Your comments have been noted and are appreciated.
You will no doubt be aware that Operation Stack is invoked when Channel Ferry or Channel Tunnel crossings are disrupted, generally because of inclement weather or industrial action. This can happen between 8 and 12 times a year, closing long stretches of the M20 to local traffic so that lorries bound for the port can be parked on the motorway.
The ensuing traffic chaos this brings to the county not only costs the economy millions of pounds, it also causes widespread inconvenience to people living in, working in and visiting Kent.
In addition, the problem of a lack of secure overnight parking for lorries results in them using lay-bys and side streets causing damage and pollution and leaving behind waste and litter. Demand has been intensified due to drivers’ hours’ legislation which means drivers have to stop in Kent on the inward part of their journey.
It has been suggested that the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel should fund a solution to Operation Stack. However as much of the country’s trade with Continental Europe passes through Kent, this is very much a national problem, which is why we have been pressing the Government for several years to resolve the issue.
With no other options on the table and given the effects on Kent’s economy and communities of Operation Stack and overnight HGV parking on local roads we decided that we must lead the way on finding a permanent solution.
Working with other agencies we carried out a study which found that there was a need for a lorry park in Kent and that it should be dual purpose. As well as providing secure overnight parking it should be available in the event of Operation Stack. The Freight Transport Association supports this proposal. We agreed with the Department for Transport that we would identify a preferred site.
The severe shortage of suitable secure overnight parking facilities means that drivers are forced to stop in unsuitable places such as lay-bys, business estates and some near to residential properties. This leads to inconvenience to local communities and environmental problems. This is particularly evident in Dover and Ashford and to a lesser extent in Shepway.
In order for the lorry park to provide an effective and workable alternative to Operation Stack, it has to be along the M20 corridor and fairly close to the Channel crossings. We looked at a number of sites before reaching a decision about which site was our preferred location.
Our preferred site is between junctions 10 & 11 on the south side of the M20 between Sellindge and Aldington.
The site, which covers more than 70 acres, was chosen for its good connectivity and proximity to the Channel Tunnel and Dover Docks and because it is isolated from built-up areas. The site is very close to the M20 keeping access roads to a minimum and therefore reducing the impact on the local environment. It is also shielded from view by the Sellindge Converter Station to the east, the M20 to the north, a railway embankment to the south and woodland to the west. There are no planning designations such as AONB or Special Landscape Area applied to this area.
To access the site, we propose on and off slip roads to and from the M20 on both east and west bound carriageways. The site will link to the eastbound carriageway via an overbridge or a tunnel if ground conditions permit. The site will not have access on to the A20.
The proposed site will provide 500 secure overnight parking spaces for HGVs and an overflow area for up to 2,500 additional HGVs during Operation Stack. The site will have appropriate security, a properly laid out parking area for HGVs, a canteen providing refreshments, toilets, showers and fuel. The remainder of the site will be kept as green as possible and extensive and sympathetic landscaping will be used to further reduce the visual impact.
I have said that the cost of building a lorry park should not fall on Kent’s tax payers. Currently 75% of the lorries crossing the Channel are foreign registered and enjoy cheaper costs than UK firms. I believe the best way to generate the capital to build and run the site is by introducing a vignette system of charges on HGVs entering the country, similar to systems already operating in Austria and Switzerland, we have proposed this to the Government. UK hauliers could be rebated by a corresponding reduction in Vehicle Excise Duty.
This would mean that overnight HGV parking would be free at the lorry park, encouraging HGV drivers to use it. The current cost a night to park on a licensed site is around £20.
The proposal means that there will be no excuse for HGV drivers to park on local roads overnight. At the same time HGV parking ban on local roads can be effectively enforced and we should see an end to lorries parking on verges and lay-bys in many parts of the county. We are proposing two further secure overnight lorry parks; one along the M2 corridor and the second along the M25.
We are in the early stage of the process; we have discussed the aims of the proposal with the Highways Agency, Kent Police, Kent Fire & Rescue Service and Ashford Borough Council. Their comments are expected by the end of April 2008.
This will be followed by a detailed planning process which will include a full public consultation.
I hope that this clarifies the situation and will allay your concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Carter
Leader of Kent County Council
From: Paul.Carter@kent.gov.uk
Subject: RE: as appropriate
Dear .................
RE: PROPOSED LORRY PARK
Thank you for taking the time to write to me about the proposal to create a lorry park adjacent to the M20 east of Sellindge.
Your comments have been noted and are appreciated.
You will no doubt be aware that Operation Stack is invoked when Channel Ferry or Channel Tunnel crossings are disrupted, generally because of inclement weather or industrial action. This can happen between 8 and 12 times a year, closing long stretches of the M20 to local traffic so that lorries bound for the port can be parked on the motorway.
The ensuing traffic chaos this brings to the county not only costs the economy millions of pounds, it also causes widespread inconvenience to people living in, working in and visiting Kent.
In addition, the problem of a lack of secure overnight parking for lorries results in them using lay-bys and side streets causing damage and pollution and leaving behind waste and litter. Demand has been intensified due to drivers’ hours’ legislation which means drivers have to stop in Kent on the inward part of their journey.
It has been suggested that the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel should fund a solution to Operation Stack. However as much of the country’s trade with Continental Europe passes through Kent, this is very much a national problem, which is why we have been pressing the Government for several years to resolve the issue.
With no other options on the table and given the effects on Kent’s economy and communities of Operation Stack and overnight HGV parking on local roads we decided that we must lead the way on finding a permanent solution.
Working with other agencies we carried out a study which found that there was a need for a lorry park in Kent and that it should be dual purpose. As well as providing secure overnight parking it should be available in the event of Operation Stack. The Freight Transport Association supports this proposal. We agreed with the Department for Transport that we would identify a preferred site.
The severe shortage of suitable secure overnight parking facilities means that drivers are forced to stop in unsuitable places such as lay-bys, business estates and some near to residential properties. This leads to inconvenience to local communities and environmental problems. This is particularly evident in Dover and Ashford and to a lesser extent in Shepway.
In order for the lorry park to provide an effective and workable alternative to Operation Stack, it has to be along the M20 corridor and fairly close to the Channel crossings. We looked at a number of sites before reaching a decision about which site was our preferred location.
Our preferred site is between junctions 10 & 11 on the south side of the M20 between Sellindge and Aldington.
The site, which covers more than 70 acres, was chosen for its good connectivity and proximity to the Channel Tunnel and Dover Docks and because it is isolated from built-up areas. The site is very close to the M20 keeping access roads to a minimum and therefore reducing the impact on the local environment. It is also shielded from view by the Sellindge Converter Station to the east, the M20 to the north, a railway embankment to the south and woodland to the west. There are no planning designations such as AONB or Special Landscape Area applied to this area.
To access the site, we propose on and off slip roads to and from the M20 on both east and west bound carriageways. The site will link to the eastbound carriageway via an overbridge or a tunnel if ground conditions permit. The site will not have access on to the A20.
The proposed site will provide 500 secure overnight parking spaces for HGVs and an overflow area for up to 2,500 additional HGVs during Operation Stack. The site will have appropriate security, a properly laid out parking area for HGVs, a canteen providing refreshments, toilets, showers and fuel. The remainder of the site will be kept as green as possible and extensive and sympathetic landscaping will be used to further reduce the visual impact.
I have said that the cost of building a lorry park should not fall on Kent’s tax payers. Currently 75% of the lorries crossing the Channel are foreign registered and enjoy cheaper costs than UK firms. I believe the best way to generate the capital to build and run the site is by introducing a vignette system of charges on HGVs entering the country, similar to systems already operating in Austria and Switzerland, we have proposed this to the Government. UK hauliers could be rebated by a corresponding reduction in Vehicle Excise Duty.
This would mean that overnight HGV parking would be free at the lorry park, encouraging HGV drivers to use it. The current cost a night to park on a licensed site is around £20.
The proposal means that there will be no excuse for HGV drivers to park on local roads overnight. At the same time HGV parking ban on local roads can be effectively enforced and we should see an end to lorries parking on verges and lay-bys in many parts of the county. We are proposing two further secure overnight lorry parks; one along the M2 corridor and the second along the M25.
We are in the early stage of the process; we have discussed the aims of the proposal with the Highways Agency, Kent Police, Kent Fire & Rescue Service and Ashford Borough Council. Their comments are expected by the end of April 2008.
This will be followed by a detailed planning process which will include a full public consultation.
I hope that this clarifies the situation and will allay your concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Carter
Leader of Kent County Council
