Town mayor raises concerns that 'Brexit lorry park' could be built in Warwickshire without public consultation

Groups representing lorry drivers have written to ministers warning of "severe" disruption to supply chains.

Rod McKenzie, from the Road Haulage Association, said the government should "act now before it's too late".

But Boris Johnson has said the UK is 'ready for any eventuality' after the transition period.

The Prime Minister has changed the law to give the Government the authority to grant emergency planning permission for "temporary" lorry parks across the country.

And Kenilworth Mayor Cllr Richard Dickson, who is the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesperson for the Kenilworth and Southam constituency, fears a large development will be pushed through and take place without any public consultatition.

He said: "The government is in a stew.

"It's clearly choosing, with just a few months before the end of the transition period, to take on huge powers for itself.

"This legislation allows the government to bypass the well-established local planning process without local residents having any say at all in whatever developments the government goes ahead with.

"It's not known for where in Warwickshire the government might have plans so, because it might involve sites in the Kenilworth and Southam constituency, I've asked Jeremy Wright MP to explain why there is this lack of local consultation and transparency about the plans."

Britain will leave the EU's single market and customs union at the end of 2020, meaning that from January 2021 lorry drivers heading to the continent will need to complete customs declarations before being able to cross the channel.

The Government expects that it will take hauliers several weeks to adapt to the new checks, meaning some drivers will attempt to head to the EU without the correct paperwork.

In an attempt to avoid chaos at the border and long queues on England's motorways, the government is already building lorry parks on sites nationwide, where lorry drivers without the correct paperwork will be held.

Work has already started on a lorry park in Ashford, Kent, 25 miles from Dover, with other potential sites including Liverpool and Salford in the northwest, Hull in the northeast, and areas on the south coast like Dover and Portsmouth.

The Government has limited time to prepare Britain for an array of new checks and trade barriers with its biggest trading partner once the Brexit transition period comes to an end — with or without a new free trade agreement with the EU.