I welcomed the continued progress on two new border facilities that are being delivered in Dover. This week, detailed plans for the first of the two facilities were published and a consultation has begun.
One will be for HMRC border facilities and the other for Port Health. The detailed layout plans for the HMRC customs border facility at the White Cliffs Business Park have now been published, while an announcement about the location for a second port health checks border facility is expected shortly.
I have strongly supported the investment and the local jobs that will be created by the new Dover border facilities. I also successfully pressed for changes to the plans to reduce the impact on residents in nearby Guston and take account of heritage and environmental concerns. This has resulted in proposals that I have called the right size for our community – not just the one border facility as originally planned, but two border facilities for Dover.
The Government is taking forward investment plans that are expected to top £80 million and create more than 400 local jobs. The jobs and money will be a real benefit to our community. I am pleased to see the next steps in this programme, with the detailed plans for the first border facility now being published. This follows an extended round of meetings in recent months by HMRC with local parish councillors, councillors and others.
Now the plans enter the next consultation stage I encourage everyone to get involved and have their say on the positive difference that this investment and jobs will have for the Dover community. It’s also vital for residents living nearby to have their say so that HMRC can consider any fine tuning the detailed proposals may need.
The consultation lasts for two weeks until 8th November 2021. It’s easy to get involved – go to http://www.inlandborderfacilities.uk and have your say.