Freight News, Road, Sea


GSE reveals plans for 70-acre Dover Truckstop

[ October 29, 2025   //   ]

GSE Group, operator of the Ashford International Truckstop on the M20 has unveiled plans for a new 70-acre lorry park near Dover on the A20. The new site would be five miles  from the port at the Court Wood Interchange.

As well as providing much needed regular truck parking space, the site would be an alternative to disrupting ‘stacking’ of trucks on the A20 carriageways at times of disruption under the Dover TAP scheme.

According to the Kent Online news site, the site would include driver facilities such as restaurants, showers and a gym.

The plans are subject to a public consultation in December prior to a formal planning application to Dover District Council.

Commenting on the plan, Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister, said: “We welcome GSE’s plans to significantly increase the number of secure HGV parking spaces so close to the port. Our freight customers have told us that the proximity of parking to the port is crucial to their operations and wellbeing of their drivers.

“GSE’s proposal is consistent with our plans to help improve the experience of travelling through the port and to be a good neighbour to the residents of Dover in line with our 2050 Strategy.”

He added that the port’s outbound control project will create more capacity within the port, and improve fluidity for HGVs with the aim of removing the need to implement Operation TAP, which sees up to 500 HGVs parked on the inside lane of the A20. Starting at the Aycliffe roundabout close to the Port, Operation TAP was implemented on 137 days during 2024.

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