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MP Kelly Tolhurst calls on Amazon to sort Hoo depot HGV parking

An MP says she is "losing patience" with online shopping giant Amazon.

Kelly Tolhurst is demanding the company and Medway Council resolve HGV parking issues near the multi-billion firm's Hoo Peninsula warehouse.

Amazon lorry have become a major problem for local residents
Amazon lorry have become a major problem for local residents

Despite a series of emails with senior managers, Miss Tolhurst says little progress is being made in creating a lorry park to prevent chaos on surrounding roads .

The American-owned business has operated at the Kingsnorth site for two years and provisions are still not in place to have sufficient parking available on the grounds of the warehouse.

There have also been environmental health concerns regarding waste discarded by some lorry drivers.

The council has a daily cleaning operation in place around the vicinity of the warehouse to ensure it is safe.

Government minister Miss Tolhurst says she has also consistently called on Amazon to make toilet facilities available to their lorry drivers to keep the area clean.

Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst
Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst

In the past there have been reports of bottles of urine and faeces discarded by the roadside and in lay-bys along the Ratcliffe Highway.

The Rochester and Strood MP said: “The large amount of HGVs parking up on roads around Hoo St Werburgh is causing many problems for my constituents on a daily basis and a solution is needed urgently.

“I understand Amazon has planning permission to build a lorry park with capacity for as many as 30 HGVs on its site, but that work is yet to commence.

“I am deeply concerned and frustrated as to what is taking so long to find a permanent solution to this ongoing problem. I will continue to put further pressure on Amazon until this is resolved.”

Amazon did not respond to KentOnline questions on what it is doing to fix the problem.

“I understand Amazon has planning permission to build a lorry park with capacity for as many as 30 HGVs"

A spokesman said: "Any disruption caused by drivers does not reflect the high standards we have for our carrier partners and their drivers.

"We regularly communicate with carrier partners to reinforce this and in doing so have seen a significant decline in the number of incidents occurring.

"We are continuing to progress further measures to address the matter.”

Read more: All the latest news from Medway

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