Shepway Liberal Democrats

Truck Off!

Late January 2007 latest: After years of campaigning by local residents and Cheriton Lib Dems, we're delighted that work has started to end the lorry parking problem in Cheriton High Street in Folkestone. The works should stop lorry parking in the slip road, which disturbed residents in Samian Crescent, Tiber Close and Roman Way.

The works are due to take around 6 weeks in total, and there will be temporary traffic restrictions and lights in place on the affected section of Cheriton High Street throughout that period.

Local Resident Action IS stopping Lorry parking on Cheriton High Street - thank you!

Download a copy of the "Truck Off" away from Cheriton High Street campaign leaflet

• See the "Truck Off" campaign featured on Meridian TV (Sunday 26 February) [Windows Media Player file]
• Find out More about the "Truck Off" action plan

For many years, there has been a signifcant problem on Cheriton High Street with lorry parking. Many lorries on their way to or from the continent stop in the slip road off Cheriton High Street (opposite Tescos, right by junction 12 of the M20) to take their required break.

They are parking near homes with generators or refrigeration units running overnight, disturbing residents in the neighbouring houses. Often, due to the lack of local facilities, there is also litter left, and much damage has been caused to verges in the slip road where lorries have mounted the kerb.

Our Message to Lorry Drivers

• Our message to lorry drivers who park in Cheriton, Folkestone
• Notre message aux conducteurs de camion qui se garent dans Cheriton, Folkestone
• Unsere Anzeige zu den Lastwagentreibern, die in Cheriton, Folkestone parken
• Il nostro messaggio ai driver del camion che parcheggiano in Cheriton, Folkestone

Cheriton residents have no problem with lorry drivers, and understand how hard their job must be, and how important they are to our country, and economy. Residents would support lorry drivers right to good facilities, and a proper place to park, stop, eat and sleep. However Cheriton High Street is not the right place - there are no facilities, and it is too close to houses.

Over the past few weeks, Tim Prater has received a lot of emails and comments from Lorry drivers from across the country and Europe. Many have been very positive, agreeing that the area is unsuitable as a parking area. Many also have been highlighting the lack of suitable parking provision, and we back their campaigning for better, appropriate, facilities.

• More on "Truck Off" support for Lorry Drivers campaign for more and better facilities

Despite years of requests from local residents, Lib Dem campaigners and others, no action has yet been taken by Kent County Council (who handle Highway issues). There is a plan to deal with the problem by converting the slip road to a bus / taxi priority lane, but this has been promised for many months, and there is no sign of the plan actually being carried out.

The Truck Off Action Plan

The "Truck Off" plan is really simple - if enough local people park their cars in the slip road, then lorries can't park there. We want to encourage as many local residents as possible to park in that area, reducing lorry parking and improving the area for local people.

It's currently legal to park in the Cheriton High Street slip-road layby - which is what the lorries themselves are relying on. We have started to reclaim the area as a Cheriton Residents' Free Parking Area.

With cars parked in that area, lorries have no way to park. As the lorries can't park, many of the problems of noise, rubbish and damage to the verges are also reduced.

Local residents have been asked to park in that layby from noon on Saturday 25th February. There are now more cars parking there, and in combination with signs put up asking lorries not to park, there has been a significant reduction in lorry parking - due to the action of local people.

Local Lib Dem campaigners have now written to the council asking for them to help the campaign with some specific help. Now the number of lorries has been reduced and the campaign shown to be working, we have asked for "official" signs to replace the current home-made signs, the verges and kerbs to be reinstated and bollards put in place to protect the verge.

All local residents who would like to help support the continued success of the Truck Off campaign are asked to park on the slip-road whenever there is a space - reducing street parking congestion in Roman Way, Samian Crescent and Canada Close, and reclaiming the street for Cheriton from the lorry drivers.

The more occupied space, the less opportunity there is for lorry parking, and lorry drivers will seek alternatives further away from local houses. Please get involved - and ask your friends and neighbours to do so as well.

• Please park responsibly and legally at all times
• Please park on both sides on the road, making sure at all times NOT to block the road or put yourself or vehicle in danger
• If parking on the "island" side, please take care of traffic when crossing the road
• Please park up by the kerb, but NOT on the verge as this causes damage
• Please do NOT approach or argue with lorry drivers.
• Leave a couple of car lengths between cars. Lorries need more space than that to stop.