Councils say Government gave no prior warning about Bexhill asylum centre plans
They're calling on the Home Office to 'urgently' address residents' concerns
Two East Sussex councils have revealed they were only told by the Government about plans to house asylum seekers in Bexhill hours before the proposal was announced in the House of Commons last week.
Around 1,200 would be housed at the former Northeye prison under the plans while their claims for residency in the UK are being processed.
In a joint statement released on Monday (April 3rd), East Sussex County Council and Rother District Council said there had been no previous discussions with the Government prior to the announcement being made.
The authorities added that the uncertainty around the issue is 'not helpful' for residents and businesses in Bexhill called for the Home Office 'as a matter of urgency' to set up ways to consider residents' views.
"We know many residents have voiced concerns about the proposals from the Home Office for the Northeye site in Bexhill.
"We too are waiting for full facts about how the proposal to use the site to house people seeking asylum would be implemented.
As we said in our earlier statement, we are assessing the implications of the proposal and the impact it would have on the local community. We will then consider any further actions. We will ask the government to ensure the Home Office acts on all local concerns.
We are working with councils in other parts of the country where potential sites have also been identified by the government and with councils where similar facilities already exist to learn from their experiences."