Plans for a Fastrack bus service in Dover have gone on hold after it emerged lorries would be using part of the route to access the Inland Border Post (IBP) at Whitfield.

The decision to withdraw the plans was made by Kent County Council after Guston Parish Council warned of more congestion problems and claimed the government department would be breaching the law.

Last Tuesday the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed its intention to allow lorries to use 2.2km of new roads proposed for the Fastrack bus service, which is supposed to connect Dover Priory Station to 5,750 new homes at Whitfield.

The DfT's consultation into the IBP was launched on Wednesday as part of requirements under a Special Development Order (SDO).

The park will allow Customs and Defra the space to inspect mandatory paperwork and cargos required under Brexit rules.

If built, it will cater for up to 1,200 HGVs on land at Dover's White Cliff Business Park in Honeywood Road, which is connected to Guston and Dover's Buckland ward.

A grant of £16.1m was awarded to help fund the bus and cycle route by Homes England in 2019.

If approved, the government funded scheme will include a bridge over the A2, near Tesco, alongside a new junction close to the B&Q roundabout at White Cliffs Business Park.

Originally planned for electric buses, a vital change sparked disbelief when KCC highways bosses revealed 152 diesel buses would actually be used from 5am to midnight. The aim is to have the service running by 2023.

However Kent County Council (KCC), the local highways authority, put the controversial £16.1million scheme on hold on Wednesday.

KCC's head of planning, Sharon Thompson, said it was "prudent" to have a rethink. At the meeting, she told a panel of county councillors: "We will need to establish whether I need to change my recommendation or advice to you."

A spokesman for the DfT said: "The decision to withdraw plans for a new service has been taken by Kent County Council (KCC).

"We understand concerns about disruption caused by the White Cliffs site, and are working with the designers and project team for the route to ensure that buses will have priority and any HGV use is minimal.”

Guston Parish Council's intervention came in support of residents of the quiet village, whose homes will be encased by two large scale developments if the bus route and IBP go ahead.

Clerk Glynis Farthing said the bus scheme was a "waste" of taxpayers' cash and warned about further congestion problems in Dover.

She added: "We want to put a spanner in the works so KCC are forced to take a closer look at this and see that this project is not necessary."

Dover West county councillor Geoff Lymer (Con) has openly raised objections about the scheme and taken a public stand against his own Tory party at KCC.

Commenting on the hold up, he said: "Guston Parish Council and I are acting in good faith to protect a government department from breaching the law."

Parish council chairman Tracey Creed added that the council was "really angry" to discover the DfT is "piggy backing" on the bus scheme which Dover District Council previously assured would be used as a green connection for Dover fast track, pedestrians and cyclists.

Now she said: "There's nothing green about it!"

The Fastrack application will be debated at the next Maidstone County Hall planning meeting on February 11.

However, Dover District Council's transport boss, Cllr Nigel Collor (Con), said he remained "confident" the project would still go ahead.

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