Inquiry date set for Stafford asylum seeker accommodation appeal

Stafford Borough Council’s planning committee refused to grant permission for the change of use of the Beaconside site last year.

Serco, which manages asylum seeker accommodation on behalf of the Home Office, has appealed against the council’s decision. Now a planning inquiry has been scheduled to start on May 16 and interested parties can submit comments until March 14.

Frances Beatty, Stafford Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic development and planning, said: “We will be defending any appeal that looks to overturn the decision of our planning committee which was to refuse the application for an asylum centre at Beaconside in Stafford. We are very disappointed that Serco has lodged an appeal – and this will now be dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate which is completely independent from the council.”

Stafford’s MP Theo Clarke, who objected to the application, raised the issue in the House of Commons last week with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. She said: “I welcome the Government’s commitment to tackling illegal migration, particularly the issue of small boats.

“Will my right honourable friend reconsider the Government’s proposal to relocate approximately 500 single male asylum seekers to Beaconside in Stafford? Will he meet me urgently to discuss it, given the huge number of objections that I have received from constituents on this issue?

Mr Sunak responded: “I know that this issue concerning (Ms Clarke) and her constituents, which is why we must absolutely stop the boats and stem the tide of illegal migrants to relieve this pressure on our local communities. I will ensure that she meets with the Home Secretary as soon as possible to discuss her concerns—hopefully we can arrange that meeting in the coming days.”

Speaking afterwards Ms Clarke said: “This is a major concern in Stafford and people are incredibly concerned about the number of asylum seekers that could be housed just outside the town with few services to assist them. I will do all I can to make it clear to the Home Secretary when we meet that this should not happen.

“I have also met with the council who agree with me that having this number would put local services under pressure. Stafford is welcoming to those who are seeking asylum and we have taken many but this huge extra number for a small market town is going to be detrimental to our community and detrimental to those potentially housed there as Stafford simply does not have the infrastructure to cope.”

More than 300 objections were submitted in response to the application for Stafford Court. Objectors are concerned that the building is close to a number of schools and there are fears that crime would increase in the area, as well as noise and antisocial behaviour, if the application is allowed.

Serco has proposed 171 initial accommodation beds (IA), providing urgent short term places for asylum seekers needing somewhere to stay before their support applications can be assessed. A further 310 places would provide “dispersed accommodation” (DA) for a longer term while applicants wait for their asylum claim to be fully determined, which could range from months to years.

A statement of case put forward on behalf of Serco said: “Serco identified Stafford Court as the most suitable site for its needs in relation to the Asylum

Accommodation and Support Services (AASC) contract for the Midlands and East of England Region, which is the contract between the Home Office and the appellant. It is proposed that part of the site be used for IA and that the balance of the site be used for DA.

“The configuration of self-contained clusters at Stafford Court is ideal for accommodating asylum seekers during both the IA and DA phase of their application. The ability to secure each cluster, an individual floor or an entire block creates maximum flexibility to accommodate single males, single females or families with the appropriate level of segregation and security.

“The proposed use is effectively a managed residential development and Stafford Court is considered an appropriate location for such a use. The site is similar to other IA operations elsewhere in the UK including sites operated by Serco in Derby and Liverpool.

“Serco will accommodate a mix of single people and families in a number of blocks within the part of Stafford Court identified to be used for IA and a mix of singles only within the DA part of the site. Each floor has secure entry mechanisms so that only asylum seekers who are allocated a room on a particular floor can gain access; in addition there will be 12 support staff on site, who are fully aware of the safeguarding requirements.

“For health care access within IA, the asylum seekers are registered with a health care provider on site and local services will only be required in the event of a medical emergency. Serco is working with the Home Office to understand if this health provision can be extended to the DA community.”