Government forcing customs lorry park on Appleton

Local Liberal Democrats have accused the Government of railroading the lorry park at Appleton Thorn through without adequate consultation.

The Government has acquired the old Shearings site for use as an inland border control point once we leave the European Union. It has special powers to grant itself planning permission. Large numbers of lorries will be using Junction 20 off the M6 to access ports at Liverpool and Heysham. This will be twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The planning permission will be for a minimum of two years and could be for four years.

Local Councillor Sharon Harris says:

A few Councillors attended a special briefing by HMRC. We learned that 824 households in Appleton, Stretton, Grappenhall and Thelwall will receive a letter and an information pack but have only fourteen days to respond to the consultation. Anyone can respond via the government website https://inlandborderfacilities.uk and I strongly encourage them to do so.

These residents may be the ones most affected but the impact on the wider area is dreadful. This is not a real consultation and I fear the government is just going through the legal motions. There will be a massive impact on congestion and air pollution which will be much worse if the Secretary of State approves the Eddie Stobart planning application which he has been sitting on for months.

Fellow Appleton Councillor Judith Wheeler adds:

I understand that there could be at least sixty-nine HGVs on site for an hour or two at any one time. Exactly what routes they will use is unclear. It is also unclear whether lorries will have to queue or whether they will be allocated timed slots. We will be pressing hard for mitigation to safeguard residents. Could they cap the number of movements during peak hours when air quality and congestion are at their worst? They need to keep the soundproofing fence at the back of the site to minimise noise. There must be proper signage and assistance with the removal of litter. Will refreshments and rest facilities be on site or will this increase the load on Lymm Services?

Cllr Bob Barr added:

As Leader of the Opposition on the Council and a Councillor for Lymm North & Thelwall ward, which lies within a few hundred metres of the affected route, I am very angry that I was not allowed to attend the briefing. I have written to the Leader of the Council to find out who made this decision.