Controversial large-scale plan Brexit The customs clearance zone in Dover, which can accommodate 1,200 trucks, has been significantly reduced in size, which has given local rivals a major victory.
The affected homeowner spent Seven month plan, The old farmland will be covered by concrete, the ancient Roman roads will be destroyed, and the night light and noise pollution will affect the families living 25 meters away.
But at a meeting last Friday, representatives of the UK Revenue and Customs Service confirmed their big turn to the local parish council.
The site can now only accommodate 96 trucks instead of 1,200 trucks, there are 20 additional spaces for reversing, and only occupy a quarter of the original space.
HMRC officials told locals that they had “learned a lesson” from the large Brexit truck parking lot in Sevington, near Ashford, 22 miles away.
In a letter to residents, the Guston Diocese Council said: “HMRC has confirmed that the lighting will reach moonlight levels.”
It also moved the site 450 meters away from the residence, and plans to build a two-meter-high “dyke” or artificial hill to reduce noise and residents’ interference with the field view.
“We think this is a real result for us,” said a member of the Guston Diocese Council, who was one of the leaders of the opposition.
“Obviously, we are still worried about what will happen to the remaining three-quarters of the venue and the design of the venue, but in general, we are pleasantly surprised and happy that they are cooperating with us,” the congressman said, not wanting to be famous.
Sarah Gleave, a member of the Dover and Deal Green Party, said she is concerned that road infrastructure and single lanes are still a nightmare for locals and the environment.
The construction work will not start until February or March, which means it is unlikely to be ready before the summer of six months after the Brexit inspection is fully implemented.
This may mean that the truck was diverted to the Ashford site closer to the Eurotunnel exit of Folkestone.
Gleave believes that there is still time to relocate the site to a safer inland point, where A2 has a two-lane road.
Earlier this year, local people said they felt betrayed and trapped by the government’s “lie” about the plan. A mother told how she moved to this quiet village because her autistic son found that both light and noise were challenging.
Her neighbor, Mick Palmer, said he “would not trust” the government because the government imposed the plan on residents without warning on New Year’s Eve. But his wife Jill said: “It’s a relief that they haven’t experienced this. It will still exist, but it won’t have much impact on us.”
The website needs to meet additional procedures resulting from Brexit, including customs paperwork and physical health checks for food and animal imports.
However, according to well-informed sources, according to the new plan, only HMRC will conduct inspections on site, and two separate locations will perform other controls.
The most destructive part of the truck park, including health checks on refrigerated and frozen foods, will be moved to an undisclosed location in nearby Whitfield, which is currently being negotiated by government procurement officials.
According to local sources, one option proposed is to transform an empty warehouse into a refrigerated loading and unloading area, where trucks with suspicious cargo can be unloaded for inspection.
The third site, described as similar to a “roadside farm”, will be used to inspect live animals, such as cattle imported for breeding purposes and racehorses returned from the French conference.
Tim Reardon, Secretary of the Port of Dover company and head of EU exports, expressed concern that the government might not be able to take effect in the two deadlines for Brexit inspections in October and January.
“It takes time to build the infrastructure, and the government needs to include it in the timetable of the new border control,” he said. “It also needs to tell the logistics industry which inland border stations will be available and when they will be available so that the army of companies that make up the UK supply chain knows what they are dealing with.”
HMRC also confirmed to the locals that the plot will now be “long-term”, but the emergency planning approval covered by the special development order will only last until December 2025. If it is necessary to start from 2026, a comprehensive planning consultation will be conducted.
A government spokesperson confirmed that the size of the White Cliffs site has been reduced and the food and animal health and phytosanitary (SPS) inspection plan for the site has been cancelled.
“We have reviewed plans for border facilities Kent Customs, sanitary and phytosanitary inspections of EU goods are required, because it is important that we have suitable facilities that provide taxpayers with value for money,” they said.
“HMRC is working closely with the planning authorities to submit a special development order for the White Cliffs site for customs inspection. As part of this, a two-week public participation period is expected.
“For SPS inspections, our modeling shows that we can meet the requirements through the Sevington facility and a new smaller site in Dover. We are working closely with the Port of Dover Health Department to finalize these plans.”
They said that HRMC has now obtained ownership of the site from the Ministry of Transportation and will continue to contact locals at all border control sites.
