• The post you are reporting:
   
  Thank you for your email below and apologies for not responding to you sooner due to competing priorities.
  
  I have now concluded from my current planning enforcement investigation, that on the balance of probability the land has been used as an HGV lorry park for more than 10 years so the current use by VEA lorry park does not breach planning control.
  
  The freeholder said that he has run a lorry park at this site for over 20 years. He has now retired and rents it out to VEA. Historical photographs reinforce the likelihood that this is true. I believe the lorry park use wound down shortly before freeholder retired and now there is a new operator there are more lorry movements. Kent County Council Highways have confirmed that the site has had an HGV Operators licence for more than 10 years. I also checked with our Business Council Tax Section. Whilst no planning permission has been granted for the use, the fact it has been operating as an HGV lorry park for more than 10 years makes it now immune from planning enforcement action and is thereby lawful.
  
  The VEA HGV operator cannot understand how he can be held responsible for the poor driving skills and alleged hit and runs by lorry drivers that might have come or gone to his lorry park. The issue that you have raised about highways strip of land opposite the site entrance having been cleared of vegetation and hardsurfaced has been forwarded to Kent County Council highways in order to ascertain if they have any concerns about it.
  
  I trust this clarifies the situation, if however, you have any further queries then please do not hesitate to contact me.

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