English villages wake up to find they're Brexit's new border

Four years after Britain voted to leave European Union, Brexit can still seem abstract. But in county kwn as Garden of England, it is literally taking concrete form. Just beyond ancient oaks and yews that surround medieval St. Mary's Church in vill of Sevington, bulldozers, dump trucks and cement mixers swarm isily over a field.

y are chewing up land to create part of Britain’s new border with European Union — a customs clearance depot with room for up to 2,000 trucks. one asked local people for permission, and even in this Brexit-backing area, disruption is straining support for U.K.'s rupture with EU.

“ first anyone knew about it was when a sign went up saying footpaths h been closed,” said Sharon Swandale, whose home in vill of Mersham used to be a 20-minute walk from Sevington. Closure of path for construction work means it’s w an almost 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) drive.

This county, Kent, voted by 60%-40% to leave EU in Britain’s 2016 referendum, but Swandale said visions of truck stops and customs depots were t uppermost in ir minds.

“That was never part of actual selling and marketing for Brexit,” she said.

two prosperous vills of Sevington and Mersham are 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Channel Tunnel to France and 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Britain’s biggest ferry port at Dover. Between m, two routes carry 4 million trucks a year, filled with food and all manner of or essential items.

Those goods moved back and forth freely while Britain was part of EU’s single market and customs union. U.K. left bloc’s political structures in January, and will make an ecomic break when a transition period ends Dec. 31. That means Britain must erect a customs border with 27-nation EU, its biggest tring partner.

Opponents of Brexit say it is a waste of money and effort that will hurt businesses on both sides. For supporters, it’s all part of taking back control of country’s borders and tre. But everyone agrees it means new red tape, with need for customs declarations and inspections. If U.K. and EU fail to strike a free tre deal before end of year, tariffs will be slapped on many goods, bringing more disruption, bureaucracy and expense.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative government has been reluctant to disclose details of its border plans. But last month it mitted its “reasonable worst-case scenario” involved “7,000 port-bound trucks in Kent and associated maximum delays of up to two days.”

government’s plans for limiting disruption include converting parts of a highway into a temporary parking lot for trucks, and imposing a “Kent access pass” — essentially a passport that truckers heing for EU must have to enter Kent from or parts of Britain.

Sevington site is intended for customs checks, and could also be a “temporary traffic manment facility” — a parking lot — for trucks if re are border delays, government says. 27-acre field is one of 10 sites around country earmarked for potential border infrastructure, under powers government has given itself to buy and build without consulting local authorities or residents first.

“Up to w local resident has seen plans,” said Rick Martin, chairman of Sevington parish council, ding that locals are worried about gridlock and effect site will have on property prices.

“People are quite perplexed at moment about what it’s going to look like when re’s 1,000 lorries parked across ro,” he said.

Sevington and Mersham are ancient settlements, mentioned in 1086 census kwn as Domesday Book, but residents can’t be said to reject modern life. y alrey live with hum of traffic on M20 highway that cuts through area, and sound of trains whooshing at 185 mph (300 kph) toward Channel Tunnel.

That makes m even more determined to preserve remaining rural character of ir communities. With support of local politicians, villrs are trying to limit dam by saving an joining field, also bought by government but t yet slated for development. It’s last green between m and sprawling town of Ashford nearby.

“It would be perfect place to save as a green buffer between all development here and vill,” said Swandale, a member of Vill Alliance, a local campaigning group.

Construction has alrey chased off skylarks that used to inhabit future customs site. Swandale says preserving or field could save great crested newts and dormice and paths used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. “It’s taking back control,” she said, echoing Brexiteer slogan. “It’s having this for local people, it’s using it. It’s planting trees to reduce carbon, it’s increasing its biodiversity. … It would go a long way to mitigate this development.”

Britons still don’t kw wher New Year’s Day 2021 will bring government’s worst-case scenario or a smoor exit. Talks on a U.K.-EU tre deal are delocked over fishing rights and fair-competition rules. At a summit this week, EU leers will assess wher a breakthrough is possible. re are only weeks left to seal a deal if it is to be ratified by year's end.

Paul Bartlett, a Conservative member of Kent County Council who lives right beside huge construction site, ackwledges customs facility on his doorstep came as a surprise. But as a staunch supporter of Brexit, he is determined to see positive side of new customs site.

“We need jobs," he said, after coronavirus pandemic plunged U.K. into recession. "I hope we’ll have 300 jobs and re’s a good system of apprenticeships that young people can sign up to and develop a career for mselves.

“It’s a beautiful part of country to live in, and sometimes you’ve got to take rough with smooth.”

(Im Credits: AP)