Kentish Express Ashford & District
Cafe’s lorry park allowed until the end of next year
Council grants extension until December 2023
A lorry park at a roadside cafe has been given the green light to continue operating – four years after temporary permission ran out.
The Airport Cafe and truckstop on the A20 between Sellindge and Newingreen holds up to 25 lorries.
Of these spaces, 10 are permanent but the remaining 15 spaces were given temporary planning permission, which expired in December 2018.
The owner of the cafe, Dave Morgan, had applied for a further five year extension back in 2018 but this was only considered by Folkestone council last week.
This left councillors concerned about the lorry park potentially overstaying another extension past 2023.
Sellindge Parish Council also objected to the extension, with clerk of the council Linda Hedly claiming as many as 60 lorries park in the village as the site
attracts HGVs.
Vice chair of the planning committee Cllr Philip Martin said: “If this is granted how can we be sure that the end will take place in December 2023 when the previous permission was allowed to drag on for three and a half years?”
Planning officers put the delay down to “staffing matters” and said the situation has improved since 2018.
Meanwhile, Cllr David Wimble said he had sympathies with residents in Sellindge, as recent gridlock from Dover had further compounded traffic problems around the village.
However, he also said the park was necessary: “I’ve been down the A20 a lot recently and you’ll notice lorries parked alongside there.
“I don’t think by not giving them permission you’re going to stop lorries (or traffic), in fact you might make it worse.”
“Although no one wants a lorry stop in their back garden but it’s got to be better than them parked down side lanes.”
Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee said she had looked for planning reasons to turn it down but found it difficult.
She said: “People will say 15 lorries won’t make any difference but the problem is it attracts more.
“Unfortunately it’s something that has materialised over a number of years and it is difficult for us to control.”
Permission was eventually granted for another extension to December 2023 with eight councillors voting in favour, two against and two abstentions.