Back to list

Date submitted

12 Sep 2025

Submitted by

Interested Party

I drive past this site every day, and the roads surrounding it are now dangerously overloaded. What was once a manageable commuter route has become an accident-prone, congested, and unsafe area. Thousands of lorries pass through or park in and around the site daily — and the local road network was never designed for this volume or weight of traffic. The result is a rising number of crashes, blocked junctions, and serious danger for families and schoolchildren. Ashford has essentially become a lorry car park. We’ve been forced to host what feels like a permanent Border Force checkpoint, complete with unsightly infrastructure, oversized signage, constant noise, and industrial lighting. There is nothing suitable or sustainable about placing this kind of facility in a growing residential town. The environmental and visual damage is immense. The air pollution, noise, and especially the light pollution at night is unbearable — our homes are lit up 24/7. Lorry drivers regularly ignore parking rules, occupy restricted lay-bys, and leave behind waste and litter. The council has done nothing to enforce these issues — yet local residents are the ones footing the bill through reduced quality of life, rising insurance costs, and falling house values. The photos attached to this objection were taken today and clearly show the unacceptable, ongoing problems this site is causing. This is not speculation — it is daily reality for those of us living nearby. I disagree with the planning and think the site should be closed immediately

Attachment(s)

• (Image, 2 MB) (opens in new window)
• (Image, 6 MB) (opens in new window)