The Planning Inspectorate has overturned a Kent authority’s decision to block plans for additional parking for 200 lorries in the county.

Service station operator, Moto, successfully appealed the decision and has now been granted outline planning permission for construction of a secure 24-hour truck stop facility which will also feature a fuel station and an amenity building.

The RHA backed an appeal against Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council’s move to halt a development on the M26 in Wrotham, near Sevenoaks. The decision is a win for the RHA’s campaign for more safe and secure parking for truckers, and comes as the government changes planning rules to support more commercial and residential development.

While celebrating this victory, Ashton Cull, RHA Senior Public Affairs lead, said that there is still much more work to do. “There’s still a shortage of 11,000 spaces across the country, with 1,000 needed in Kent alone. With reports of truckers parked in unsecure areas being targeted for their fuel and cargo on the rise, we need to see more applications getting approved faster. This is why we’re working with industry, government, local authorities and others to increase the provision of parking spaces – and improve standards at truck stops – so that lorry drivers have ready access to the facilities they deserve.”

Photo: RHA Senior Public Affairs Lead, Ashton Cull.