'Centre will not become an asylum hotel,' Dudley MP assures residents

Sonia Kumar, MP for Dudley, has received a written assurance from the Home Office stating their were no plans to turn the Ladies Walk Centre in Sedgley into accommodation for asylum seekers.

Miss Kumar said she had contacted border security minister Dame Angela Eagle for clarification following misinformation circulating in the community. 

Dame Angela's letter said the rumours were entirely incorrect.

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The minister wrote: "I want to be clear that there are no plans to use the Ladies Walk Health Centre in Sedgley for asylum accommodation. Any claim to the contrary is wholly incorrect." 

Miss Kumar, who has been working with the Home Office on this matter, said she was glad to be able to clear the matter up.

"I’m very pleased to have received this clear confirmation from the Home Office," she said.

"The Ladies Walk Centre plays an important role in our community, and it’s vital that residents have accurate information about its future."

There have been doubts about the future of the building, which opened as part of a private finance initiative deal under the Blair government, when the current lease runs out next year.

The library and clinic are scheduled to close in March 2026 when the lease on the building comes to an end.

Miss Kumar said she was continuing her fight to retain both services in the present building, which replaced two publicly owned buildings when it opened in 2001. 

In May she presented a petition signed by a total of 1,900 people to the Commons calling for the services to be retained at Ladies Walk,

"I will continue to stand up for our area and ensure transparency in all matters affecting local services," she said.