It has been described as looking like a giant sandpit.

But the transformation of Granville Dock in Dover is an important step in preventing traffic chaos when new European border checks come in.

Land is being reclaimed to provide space to check vehicles off-road for the new rules, so keeping port-bound routes clear of traffic.

Dover Strait Shipping, an independent shipping and aviation news and photography organisation, took these latest photographs yesterday (Wednesday).

Group member Nigel Scutt described the images as a “special sandpit edition”.

“They clearly show the good progress made so far on the infilling works,” Mr Scutt said.

“Gateway (a dredger) was busy pumping the aggregate ashore, with the discharge pipe fairly close to the old marina office building, into the Granville Dock.

“The building, which was formerly surrounded by leisure craft, now finds itself marooned in a sea of sand.

“As the sand continued to come ashore, there was much activity elsewhere on the site. I merely picked out one piece of it, namely the suction excavation going on in what was once the boatyard.”

The Port of Dover authority ordered this transformation as it is feared time taken up with the new checks could cause 14-hour delays.

Bosses confirmed details of the project in March, with Granville being used to check cars and an old boatyard to scrutinise coaches.

The port has also been helped by a £45 million government Levelling Up grant awarded last year to ease gridlock.

Another £3.5 million was announced by the Department for Transport last month.

The EES (Entry/Exit System) has been drawn up to register entry and exit data of non-EU nationals, which, following the Brexit vote, now includes the British. This is when they cross an external border of the continental bloc.

The method is that manual passport stamps at Kent ports are to be replaced by biometric facial imaging and fingerprinting, which has to be done in the presence of an officer.

Both Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council had warned parliament of the long delays in January.

The “reasonable worst case scenario” was then estimated at 14 hours of hold-ups at Dover.

The new checks are expected to come in on November 10 but there is prediction among national newspapers that this may be delayed.

It is understood that France, Germany and the Netherlands have said they will not be ready and have advised the European Commission to delay implementation.

Ylva Johansson, the EU's home affairs commissioner, had already announced a contingency plan of delaying until November 17.

Roads to the ferries at Dover are already regularly gridlocked at times of peak demand such as summer and Easter holiday getaways.

It can also happen because of stormy weather delaying the ferries, strikes in Calais or a shortage of staff at border controls.

The clog-ups in the past have been on the direct roads to the Eastern Docks, the A2 and A20, but have also spread into arterial routes inside the town.