How do we solve the lorry park shortage?

The queueing of lorries and clogging up of key roads is never far from the headlines in Kent, and the issue reared its head again this week as it emerged local landowners have been approached over the possibility of developing a lorry park. While bosses are quick to stress these are only tentative it will no doubt strike fear into those living in what are currently stunning rural surroundings. Providing opposition to the proposals doesn’t make them arrogant ‘NIMBYs’ either - there are all sorts of problems that come with the prospect of a huge lorry park, including air pollution, litter, and increased congestion on nearby roads which are already under threat. In fairness, Highways England have been given an unenviable task: everyone seems to want facilities in place before we formally leave the EU in March 2019, which realistically is far too short a timescale, but they also want an open and considered discussion about the possible options.It appears to have learned lessons from its initial proposal of a 3,600 truck park in Stanford, near Folkestone, for which it was accused of a knee-jerk reaction, and is now, correctly, identifying dozens of potential, varied solutions.Whether that is one giant facility, several smaller parks, or something else altogether, remains to be seen, but we as a country can’t afford to get this wrong and need to install infrastructure that will serve for decades. Public consultations are not just a box-ticking exercise for the government, they’re a chance to really understand how such plans affect individual people. Engaging in that debate and providing feedback will be key to getting this complex issue right.