Back to list

Date submitted

11 Sep 2025

Submitted by

Interested Party

I strongly object to the plan to make the Sevington lorry park a permanent fixture. Here are the main reasons why: • Light pollution: The park is lit up like an airport runway every night. The floodlights shine straight into our homes and bedrooms. It’s hard to sleep, and our once-dark street now feels like an industrial estate. • Noise and disruption: Lorries come and go all night. The engine noise, reversing alarms, and general movement make it impossible to enjoy peace and quiet at home — even late at night. • Road safety: I drive past the site several times a day, and there are crashes or near-misses all the time, especially around Junction 10A. Many lorry drivers don’t know where they’re going, and it’s made local roads dangerous — particularly during the school run. • Illegal parking: Lorries regularly park in the lay-by outside my house, even though it’s marked for emergency vehicles only. They ignore the signs, block driveways, and cause visibility issues — and no one enforces the rules. • Rubbish and hygiene problems: Drivers leave litter and worse. We’re constantly dealing with waste, bottles of urine, and even human waste left on the roadside. It’s disgusting and totally unacceptable in a residential area. • Visual eyesore: What used to be a quiet, semi-rural area now looks like a depot. It’s ugly, industrial, and out of place in a town like Ashford. It’s embarrassing to live opposite it. • Property value: Since the lorry park opened, my property value has dropped. Local estate agents confirm buyers are put off by the noise, pollution, and visual impact. • Poor location choice: There are plenty of better places for a customs checkpoint further down the M20, away from homes and schools. Why does Ashford have to bear the brunt of this national problem? • Our rights as residents: We have a legal right to the peaceful enjoyment of our homes (Human Rights Act, Article 8). That right is being taken away from us by this development. Please don’t make this permanent. It was supposed to be temporary, and it’s already caused enough damage to local lives, safety, and property. Ashford is a town, not a lorry park.