Planners have given the go ahead for a new, bigger Ashford International Truckstop close to junction 10 of the M20 in Kent.
Ashford Borough Council has unanimously approved a planning application for the new 600 capacity secure HGV park, part of the proposals for the 140-acre Waterbrook site on which the current truckstop sits.
Outline planning permission was granted for new commercial property – which is expected to create nearly 1,000 jobs – retail space, 400 homes and parkland.
Work on the new truckstop is expected to start in September.
Darren Smith, General Manager of Ashford International Truckstop, said: “This larger lorry park, double the capacity of our current site, is badly needed to help tackle the issue of HGVs illegally parked on local highways – a problem that is likely to be exacerbated if post-Brexit delays are caused by customs checks instigated at the Channel Ports, as is being widely predicted.
“The current truckstop is operating at capacity and we are turning away hundreds of lorries every evening as we just don’t have the space to accommodate them.
“We expect the new site to be open later next year, and the current truckstop will remain open while the new one is being built.”
Commenting on the approval of the wider development, Darrell Healey, Managing Director of GSE Group, owners of Ashford International Truckstop said: “This is great
news for Ashford and Kent and is the result of the combined efforts of our team working closely with the council’s planners. It will create a new business space and new homes for Ashford.”
The Maidstone office of DHA Planning took the lead on the planning application, with detailed designs for the truckstop and commercial buildings developed by Canterbury-based Clague Architects.
To help attract the new businesses GSE Group has appointed property agents Sibley Pares and Knight Frank. GSE Group also worked with Cannon Consulting Engineers, Corylus Ecology, PJC Consultancy and Grant Acoustics on the plans for Waterbrook
