Ashford Borough Council to recruit 130 workers at Brexit lorry park in Sevington
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Updated: 11:23, 27 January 2021
More than 100 people are to be recruited to work at a huge Brexit lorry park ahead of its full opening.
The enormous park in Sevington, Ashford, will provide customs and transit checks for lorries leaving and arriving from Europe.
A new health checks centre is to open at the lorry park in Sevington. Photo: ABC
The government - which only snapped up the 66-acre plot in July - had hoped it could hold up to 1,700 trucks on the site and use the land for customs checks from January 1.
Local authorities to play key role in checking imported animal products
Local authorities have received £14m funding to carry out new checks on imported animal products from the EU.
The new checks on imports starting from April 2021 will also see over 500 new port health roles being created.
Farming, fisheries and food minister, Victoria Prentis, said: This funding will allow local authorities to play their part in maintaining standards and efficiency at our borders, while also providing investment in new jobs and infrastructure.
Ashford Borough Council and Dover District Council will receive £8.8m investment, with Ashford receiving the greatest share to upgrade Sevington Inland Border Facility (IBF) which will carry out an estimated 124,000 checks on imports a year.
Date Time
Funding for new checks on animal products creates 500 jobs
£14 million in funding has been given to local authorities across England to help them maintain the UK’s high standards on imported animal products, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has today (26 January 2021) confirmed.
Over 500 new port health roles are being created to facilitate the new checks on imports of animal products from the EU from April 2021, with £8.8 million invested in Ashford Borough Council and Dover District Council.
A further £5.2 million is being spent on recruiting staff, equipment and new systems in 19 other local authorities around England, including East Suffolk District Council, Manchester City Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, Portsmouth City Council and the City of London.
UK Money Made Available to Check EU Animal Product Imports
Kent Gets Lion s Share of Funding
UK – EUROPE – Rightly or wrongly it is fair to say there has always existed a degree of distrust between the farming communities on either side of the channel. Each can point out perceived weaknesses, with the French particularly coming under scrutiny with accusations of tardiness in adopting agreed standards and the UK seen as favouring chemicals such as neonicotinoids, frowned upon elsewhere.
Post Brexit the UK has now taken action, doubtless to be mirrored across the water, to ensure checks are made on imported animal products from the EU. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has affirmed that £14 million in funding has been given to local authorities across England to help them maintain the UK’s standards on such imports. Farming, Fisheries and Food Minister Victoria Prentis said:
Edinburgh Road car park in Ashford to open 24/7 as changes approved
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Updated: 14:12, 21 December 2020
Major changes are coming to a town centre car park - including overnight opening and fee alterations.
Ashford Borough Council s cabinet approved an overhaul of Edinburgh Road car park last week in a bid to increase usage and residential parking provision.
The changes have been approved in a bid to increase usage and residential parking provision
The site will now remain open 24/7 to facilitate the influx of residences proposed in the recent town centre reset plan.
Cllr Peter Feacey (Con), portfolio holder for community safety and wellbeing, said: âAs we focus on the transformation of our town centre and the changing ways in which people use it we need to consider a multitude of factors, including parking provision.