Planned site should be ‘free or almost free’ Truckers ‘will not use lorry park’ if charges imposed

A city councillor believes the planned lorry park between Canterbury and Faversham should be “free or almost free” - otherwise truckers will not use it.

Last week, Canterbury and Swale councils revealed they were eyeing up a plot of land near to Brenley Corner which they could transform into an HGV pitching site catering for hundreds of vehicles.

With the proposals still at an embryonic stage, very few details are firmed up and only a select few know the exact location of the mystery site.

Council bosses say the project is unlikely to be commercially viable for private sector firms, therefore the two authorities are expected to foot the bill for the lorry park’s construction.

Lib Dem councillor Nick EdenGreen, who thinks HGV parking provision is desperately overdue, says the proposal to charge a trucker admission fee is wrong.

“Drivers are not going to pay any significant sum,” he said. “They simply won’t use it and will continue to go elsewhere where they aren’t wanted.

“It needs to be free or almost free. It would be much better if there was no charge. What use would the facilities be if no one used them?

“This could be years off as there are a number of questions such as planning permission and what the neighbours think of it.”

If the lorry park is to be built, the city council will gain powers akin to Ashford, where nuisance HGVS can be clamped and drivers ordered to pay a fine.

The trial has proved successful, with about 2,000 lorries being clamped within a year.

Council leader Simon Cook said: “You have to pay to use the lorry parking in Ashford, where it has been successful - so Nick’s argument falls apart really.

“It is possible that not all drivers will use it. But we will have the powers to clamp if they are instead parking where they shouldn’t. It’s a perfectly sound method. The long and short of it is, you need to provide lorry parking before being granted clamping powers.

“I’m sure businesses would want to know their freight has been looked after in a secure lorry park rather than in a lay-by.”

A report to the city council’s policy and resources committee was set to be approved by councillors last night (Wednesday). It would authorise officers to carry out more thorough investigations on the project.

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have had two more sophisticated monitors at level crossings in Canterbury.

“What we are getting are levels which are substantially higher than what we have got for an average. That’s because at night it’s very low, and during the day it’s much, much higher.”

On Monday, February 25, readings at the busy crossing averaged 75.9 micrograms per cubic metre between 7am and 7pm, but shot up to 87 during the morning rush-hour between 8am and 9am, and 119.6 between 6pm and 7pm, peaking at 381.

Although Canterbury City Council has diffusion tubes in 40 spots across the city, Professor Peckham says this does not go far enough.

“It’s all very well having an average that includes the night, when the levels are zero, but people don’t tend to be walking along at night-time,” he said.

“There’s a lot of evidence that shows that short-term exposure can impair cognitive behaviour during the day. And there’s a lot of children that walk along that stretch of road, because of the school.”

The University of Kent currently has two Earthsense monitors and Prof Peckham hopes that if funding can be secured for an additional four, better data can be obtained in other congested areas of the city.

“What we hope to do is start to get better data across other areas of Canterbury,” he said. “We want to inform people about this, because the more informed people become, the more likely they are to start to change their own behaviour.

“Good data means that local residents are more empowered, which means that if they want to take more practical action, they can then use the data to put the pressure on - whether that’s on the council, local businesses or schools.”

n What do you think? Email kentishgazette@thekmgroup. co.uk.