Locals enraged as 83 asylum seekers moved into £250,000 homes | UK | News
Fighting has broken out in a Shropshire village after it was revealed dozens of asylum seekers were to be housed in newly built homes linked to a housing project initially worth £250,000.
Stoke Heath residents say they are stunned by plans for 21 new-build properties expected to house around 83 asylum seekers and their families.
The site was locally called “Immigrant Street”; One family has already moved in and more are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
This development triggered villagers’ claims that the actual purpose of the houses was not fully disclosed; Some insisted they believed the properties were for affordable housing.
Outrage focused on both the scale of the program and what residents described as a lack of communication.
One resident reportedly said: “All is not well.
“It doesn’t seem fair that these people will be living in free, brand new homes that hard-working locals could never afford.”
Others described the announcement as a shock and said they became aware of the situation after details were published online.
Melanie Almond reportedly said: “It’s like a bomb went off and you’ve got ten minutes to get out. It was a total shock. I found out about it online. We couldn’t believe it.”
Emma O’Sullivan, 30, said the change of use raised wider concerns about local infrastructure and trust in planning decisions, according to the Sun.
He told reporters: “We were told the new project would be social housing, which was a good thing, but no one moved in for a year.
“We have now been told that these will be used for refugees and are not part of social housing in any way. We feel we have been lied to.”
“I have three teenage daughters and we’re really worried. It’s not about who they are, it’s how many of them there are. It’s going to overload the infrastructure. There are only two primary schools in the area, so if it’s all families it’s going to flood the primary schools. It’s just, ‘They’re here, we’re putting up with them.'”
Another resident said the property was already unofficially referred to as “Immigrant Street”, arguing that the situation was unfair compared to local demand for housing.
They said: “It’s a disorganized place and people now call it ‘Immigrant Street’, which would be quite accurate. It doesn’t seem fair that these people will be living for free in shiny new homes that hard-working locals could never afford.”
Ex-soldier John “Basil” Brockhurst also criticized the housing allocation, saying priority should be given to financially struggling people in the UK.
He said: “In my opinion, there are many more people who need new housing than there are people who think they come from far away lands.”
Local political figures also participated in this discussion and warned that the development plan was not suitable for the region.
Conservative MP Mark Pritchard described Stoke Heath as a “completely inappropriate location” and argued the village did not have the infrastructure to support the plan.
He said: “Stoke Heath is an isolated rural area with very few public services.
“This is the wrong place and the wrong scale. I will fight these ill-conceived plans to the bitter end.”
Shropshire Council has formally expressed its concerns to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, saying it is awaiting a response before deciding on its next steps.
A spokesman confirmed the authority had written to express its “strong concerns” about the proposal.
West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John-Paul Campion also described the plans as “wholly inappropriate”.
But the Government has defended the wider policy as part of efforts to reduce the use of asylum hotels and shift accommodation to housing and disused areas.
Officials say the approach aims to cut costs and reduce reliance on hotel rooms by 2029.
Latest figures show that as of March, 20,885 refugees were housed in hotels, while a further 72,768 were placed in alternative accommodation such as Multi-Occupational Homes and temporary camps while their requests were assessed.
Serco, which oversees the accommodation of asylum seekers in the West Midlands, said it was operating under the direct instructions of the Home Office.
A spokesman said: “We work under the direction of the Home Office, which decides where people are placed based on overall national demand.
“The Home Office determines how many people can be accommodated in each local government area and instructs us accordingly.”
The Home Office added: “This Government is restoring order to the system by making record asylum decisions, reducing applications by 12 per cent and increasing deportations of illegal immigrants by 41 per cent.
“We are working closely with local authorities to accelerate the closure of asylum hotels across the UK.
“Hotel numbers have more than halved since the peak and we are instead increasing the use of large, basic accommodation for illegal immigrants to reduce the impact on society.”
