Contentious plan will ‘help weather recession in town’

Conservative councillor welcomes new jobs

Ashford Borough Council’s deputy leader thinks jobs created at the site will enable the town to “better weather the recession”.

Cllr Paul Bartlett says the government’s project “ends the uncertainty residents have suffered since 2012” as there was a threat the previous industrial estate plan could have encroached across Highfield Lane and Blind Lane into Mersham.

The Conservative councillor – who lives just a stone’s throw away from the Sevington land – also thinks the government’s chosen location makes sense as it is close to the new £104m Junction 10a, which only opened in October last year.

Cllr Bartlett said: “We do not want the site used as a lorry park such as was intended for Manston.

“We want the high-end use for HMRC, trading standards and scientific testing service.

“A HMRC clearance facility is vastly preferable to the warehouses proposed previously.

“The site in government ownership will be much more accountable to the public and we will be in a better position to oppose and challenge where things are not done in the right way.

“The government has chosen a site where diesel, petrol, rubber and other pollutants can be removed from the rain water run-off before it goes into the East Stour.

“This is because Highways England has put in an innovative system to deal with run-off from the new dual carriageway/

M20.”

Cllr Bartlett says there isn’t the space at Dover to do the HMRC checks.

“It is far too congested, they needed to bring it away from there,” he said.

“They needed it at a point on the M20 after Eurotunnel, because it wouldn’t have worked having it in Folkestone as the lorries using the tunnel would have had to have turned around.

“The only real choices were Stop 24 or Junction 10a.

“I can see why they have plumped for here - when all the infrastructure is there already, why wouldn’t they use it?

“The HMRC offices are unlikely to be the towering units dwarfing the Sevington church spire as was previously intended.

“Working conditions and rates of pay will also be much more in line with the council’s expectations. The new jobs will enable Ashford to better weather the recession.”

■ What do you think? Email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk

Part of Waterbrook Park off the A2070 is due to be used for customs checks while the MOJO site is being developed