New-build homes should not house migrants, says Home Office

The Home Office has said new-build homes "should never house asylum seekers" after it emerged up to 83 migrants would be placed at a new development in a rural Shropshire village.

The plans for Stoke Heath, first raised by Conservative MP Mark Pritchard in the House of Commons in June, have been met with strong opposition from residents, who say the site is "wholly unsuitable".

Serco, which is contracted by the government to house asylum seekers, said it had acquired the homes while working under the direction of the Home Office.

In a statement, the Home Office said home secretary Shabana Mahmood had introduced "robust processes to ensure new-build sites like Stoke Heath can never be considered again".

The development had been identified before the new guidance was brought in, it added.

Pritchard has urged ministers to cull the Stoke Heath plans in light of the Home Office's position on new builds.

Since the proposals were announced, protesters from other parts of the country have descended on the small village, near Market Drayton.

Residents have been invited to a meeting on Thursday, and Pritchard said attendees would be asked for ID to confirm they lived in the area.

"People have not been consulted and I still feel residents haven't had their say," he told the BBC. "We're not going to just lie down and allow this to happen, having not been consulted."

In a social media post Pritchard said those travelling to the village had often added more "heat" than "light" and "perhaps sought to disrupt the community in Stoke Heath" in response to the accommodation plans.

Stoke upon Tern Parish Council said it had met senior leaders at Shropshire Council and voiced the community's "concerns, frustrations and anger".

"We highlighted the complete unsuitability of the area. The absence of essential facilities and amenities and the lack of any public transport makes the location wholly unsuitable," chairman Phil Butters said.

"We emphasised that these houses had been developed in response to local need, and that the Home Office's actions were depriving local people of the opportunity to buy them even before they had come on the market."

Pritchard also raised concerns about local infrastructure, saying the nearest bus stop was a 30-minute walk away from the site.

"Will these asylum seekers be given private taxis?" he asked. "Will they be able to access GP surgeries? A lot of GP surgeries are already oversubscribed."

Ministers have ruled out new-build properties, homes that could be perceived as luxurious and locations close to sensitive sites like schools and nurseries for asylum accommodation sites. The Home Office said such sites would no longer be included in its pipeline.

It said it was developing a long-term strategy, including looking at using disused buildings and former military sites instead.

Shropshire Council said leaders had expressed "strong opposition" to the choice of location and had written to the Home Office.

Occupation of the homes is due to take place in phases over the next few months.

A Serco spokesperson said: "We work under the direction of the Home Office, who decide where people are placed, based on overall national demand.

"The Home Office determines how many people are to be accommodated in each local authority area and instruct us accordingly."

Pritchard said he believed the use of "brand new housing" could act as a "massive pull factor" for asylum seekers.

"We need to stop the boats coming over in the first place and offering brand new places to asylum seekers isn't going to do that," he said.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.