Residents urged to have their say on 'inland border facilities' in Kent

Residents in Kent are being urged to have their say on plans to build two customs clearance stations for lorries near Ashford and Ebbsfleet.

It's part of a £470m investment from the government to prepare the border for the end of the Brexit transition period on 31st December.

HMRC says it wants to start a "period of engagement" with local people about the proposed sites.

The three proposed sites, known as "Inland Border Facilities", are part of a range of measures being built across Kent so that extra checks can be carried out on lorries entering the county and heading for Dover.

The two locations in Ashford, Waterbrook and Sevington, are situated just off the M20 motorway.

The Ebbsfleet location is to be built at car park D of Ebbsfleet international station.

The sites will "include parking areas for HGVs and other vehicles as well as securitymeasures and facilities to enable the checking of vehicles and goods entering and exiting the site," according to HRMC.

There was controversy at the Sevington site in July this year, when the 27 acre site was purchased and work began almost overnight to prepare the location.

Local MPs and opposition groups warned at the prospect of these areas becoming "de-facto lorry parks".

But HMRC says the sites will only be used for customs checks and other border related operations, not as a replacement for traffic schemes like Operation Brock.

Ministers have already confirmed that Lorry drivers using the channel crossings in Kent will need an access permit to enter the county following the end of the Brexit transition period at the end of the year

The scheme is intended to stop the county’s roads being clogged up once customs controls with the European Union are re-imposed from January 1.

An HMRC spokesperson said: "In July 2020, the government committed to spending £470m on new border infrastructure to support ports in building extra capacity to meet the new control requirements where there is space to do so, and, if necessary, to build additional inland sites across the country where checks can take place.

 "We have already had extensive conversations with both the local authority and MPs and are now starting a period of engagement with local residents on our plans and next steps.”