HGV clamping powers secured

Kent County Council will have special powers to clamp illegally parked lorries from January 1.

With Brexit looming, the government expects illegal lorry parking to be an issue in the areas in and around the M2 and A2, as well as the M20, A256 and A299 in the east of the county.

KCC leader Cllr Roger Gough (Con) said: “We recognise that anti-social HGV parking is already a problem in Kent and something that will most likely become worse once we have left the EU.

“I’m grateful to the government for giving us these temporary powers which will act as a deterrent to any HGV driver and ensure that compliance is greater, meaning key Kent routes are kept clear.

“Though we have worked hard on traffic management plans in conjunction with our partners, we cannot guarantee there will not be a certain amount of freight turned back from the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel or from the Manston or Sevington sites if paperwork is not in order.”