Home Secretary 'directly intervened' to scrap Shropshire asylum plan, says Home Office

It emerged last Friday that the controversial decision over the Stoke Heath properties had been dropped.

The plan, from Serco working on behalf of the Home Office, was originally revealed by Wrekin Conservative MP, Mark Pritchard, during Prime Minister’s Questions.

What followed were concerns from residents over the plan, as well as Shropshire Council, local councillors, and West Mercia’ Police and Crime Commissioner.

The proposal came to the attention of national media, and social media accounts, while the one family moved into the site asked to leave after having people approach their home filming.

As campaigners pressed for a re-think the Home Office said that it had brought in a policy preventing new-build homes from being used for asylum seekers - but the Stoke Heath plan had come before the policy.

But Mr Pritchard and Shropshire Council confirmed on Friday that the plan had been abandoned.

Asked about the decision to drop the scheme a Home Office spokeswoman said it had come following a direct intervention from the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood.

She said: “New homes should never house asylum seekers.

"The Home Secretary has directly intervened to stop migrants being moved into the Stoke Heath development and no asylum seekers remain on site.

“Earlier this year, the Home Secretary introduced robust processes to ensure new-build sites can never be considered again."

When the decision was confirmed on Friday Mr Pritchard his focus would now turn to the future use of the homes.

He said: “So thank you to all of you, great news. This is now going to completely reduce the anxiety in the local community and I would just ask you to help me in the next phase, and that is I am going to write to Shropshire Council and say this housing, which I understand Serco have been instructed to give back to the owner, that’s what I have been told - I can’t confirm it but if that is true I would want to see that housing go to local people for local affordable rented housing, private sector housing, shared equity, whatever, but for local people, affordable housing for local people.”