Dear Residents,
We have now all experienced the Highways England Exhibition at various venues around this corner of Kent and the general consensus of opinion among residents is that it was a box ticking exercise, void of any real detail and carried out in haste. Moreover, the sense that our voice is not being heard is overwhelming.
We have been asked to respond via the Highways England questionnaire that has been structured to get the right result for building a huge 150 acre lorry park between Stanford and Sellindge.
Whilst we would encourage you fill in the questionnaire, we would ask you to comment to Q13: 'Much smaller lorry parks along all of our motorway networks''.
It is now very clear that our MP, Damian Collins alongside Shepway District Council and Kent County Council are supporting the building of a Lorry Park West of Stanford / East of Sellindge. These people do not reflect the views of local residents.
In this regard, we would encourage all residents to contact:
The Rt Hon David Cameron MP,
Prime Minister,
10, Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA
To email:
COPY TO:
The Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP
Secretary of State for Transport
House of Commons,
London SW1 0AA
Damian Collins MP,
House of Commons,
London SW1 0AA.
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Individual letters always carry more weight with emphasis on the following points:
1. With 10,800 Lorry movements each day, a 4000 capacity truck park will not solve operation stack.
2. The installation of a small town (which the lorry park would be) with a population in excess of 5000 would be completely out of scale, located between two small villages.
3. The 32 days of Operation Stack last summer was unprecedented and only brought about by Industrial action IN FRANCE, compounded by migrant incursions
Since last August (and the building of substantial fencing around the French port) we haven't experienced one day of Operation Stack.
4. This is not a local problem and should be addressed as a national problem with a national solution. Lorry parks should be installed all over the UK making provision for overnight parking.
5. 250 million pounds of taxpayers money (our money) should be used to address the problems IN FRANCE which is the root cause of all Operation Stacks. A dialogue with the French Authorities is a MUST.
6. Concreting over 150 acres of good arable farmland is a crime in itself taking that land out of circulation.
7. With housing construction gathering at pace within the area, our drainage infrastructure can be best described as 'poor' with manhole lids lifting and spewing effluent in times of high rainfall.
8 For many years we have had 'Water Scarcity Status'. Our ever depleting water supplies will come under even more pressure. An additional 5000 residents (transient) using permanent Sanitaryware will exacerbate the problems
9. Make it clear that Damian Collins, MP does not reflect the views of local residents. This sentiment is echoed by neighbouring Parish Councils and informed individuals all over the UK.
10. Air Pollution from this Lorry park would be unacceptable and would contravene the Human Rights Act with regard to life expectancy.
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As time is of the essence, please write as swiftly as you can.
S&DRA.
