Council leaders urged to object to plans for temporary accommodation for asylum seekers in Waterlooville

Opponents have said they will ‘not be silenced’ in their concerns over Home Office plans to provide temporary accommodation for 35 people in the Waterlooville town centre in flats above shops in the main precinct.

As previously reported by The News, Fareham and Waterlooville MP Suella Braverman and some local Conservative councillors are angry at the ‘wholly inappropriate proposal’ in a location which is at the centre of efforts to regenerate the town. She was joined by fellow MP Alan Mak whose constituency includes the southern part of Waterlooville, but not the town centre.

She said their efforts had ‘woken up’ Havant Borough Council which, after enquires, found that the Home Office’s partner Clearsprings had not correctly contacted the council as part of its consultation. Instead it emailed an outside contractor who is no longer working for the council, meaning that no-one in the local community had been consulted at all.

But now, Havant Borough Council has secured a consultation period as part of the error, and it is now following the protocol of the Home Office and said it will be engaging with key stakeholders before responding. Meanwhile, members of the public with a view on the issue are urged to contact their MP.

In a statement Havant Borough Council said: “The council’s role is to report back on the feasibility of the proposal and articulate practical concerns it may have. The council cannot forward individual public responses it receives regarding the proposal, and they would not be accepted by the Home Office if sent.

“Although the council cannot forward public responses, MPs representing the borough are consultees and can incorporate their constituent’s feedback in their response.

“The consultation ends on Friday 1 August, after which the Home Office will decide whether to approve the proposed accommodation.”

Mrs Braverman said she will be keeping up the pressure on the council to object to the proposals which she said were not in the best interests of the town

She said: “They’re wholly inappropriate, we don't have the resources and this accommodation would pose a public safety risk to local people, of that I am convinced.”

To watch of video of the MP sharing her views see here

She added that despite criticism levelled her and her follow Conservative councillors for their stance, she was calling for calm, and pledged ‘they will not silence us’ - handing over a copy of her petition to the council so it can see the strength of public feeling.

The Home Office proposals have been put forward as part of the policy of successive governments to ‘disperse’ the numbers of people awaiting the outcome of their asylum claims across the country. This is to ensure this is spread evenly throughout the whole country.

Meanwhile, Havant Borough Council has postponed a planned meeting which was set to take place on Wednesday, July 30, to look at the latest progress for Waterlooville’s regeneration.

In a statement it said: “Havant Borough Council has made the challenging decision to postpone a planned meeting for the Waterlooville Town Centre Regeneration update, which is due to take place on Wednesday 30 July in Waterlooville Community Centre.

“The purpose of this meeting was to discuss and share views on the continuing regeneration project, which includes the planned changes, future investment, and public realm improvements incorporating street art.

“We realise this may cause some disappointment to local residents; however, we look forward to updating you in September.”

Mrs Braverman’s petition can be found here, while Mr Mak’s can be found here.