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Date submitted

12 Sep 2025

Submitted by

Interested Party

is clear that this planning process was not made easily accessible or well-publicised to the people of Ashford. Many residents, including myself, were unaware of the opportunity to comment or oppose the development when it was first proposed. Proper community consultation should be a cornerstone of any major infrastructure decision — not treated as a tick-box exercise by central government. The lack of transparency and genuine local engagement is unacceptable and suggests the government is pushing through a costly project without proper public scrutiny or accountability. This facility is a demonstrable waste of taxpayer money. Reports show that it is massively underused, has failed to meet its expected capacity or operational targets, and is not delivering the economic benefit initially promised. Instead, it has imposed daily costs on Ashford residents in the form of traffic congestion, pollution, dangerous road conditions, and a serious decline in quality of life. The lorries bring litter, noise, and disruption to residential areas, and there has been no meaningful enforcement by the council or central agencies to manage these impacts. This is not what residents were told to expect, nor should we be forced to absorb the consequences of a failed national project. Strategically, the facility is in the wrong location. It is nowhere near the point of entry at Dover, making the entire concept inefficient, environmentally harmful, and unnecessarily burdensome on Ashford’s infrastructure. It makes no planning sense to base a border control site within a growing residential and commercial town. The damage to Ashford’s reputation, environment, property values, and long-term development prospects has already been severe. Continuing to pour money into a site that has already proven unfit for purpose is financially irresponsible and deeply unfair to local taxpayers. I urge you to reject any proposal to extend or make this site permanent. Instead of destroying the town’s potential with more industrial traffic and failed infrastructure, the land should be repurposed for something that serves Ashford’s future — such as retail, housing, or green community space. Cut the losses now, listen to local voices, and restore Ashford to a place for families and growth, not freight!