MP confirms asylum housing plan scrapped

An MP has confirmed that plans to house up to 83 migrants in new build homes in his constituency have been scrapped.

Mark Pritchard and people living in Stoke Heath argued it was inappropriate to accommodate them in the Shropshire village.

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

Pritchard said on Friday he received a call from the minister responsible for asylum seekers to confirm the plan had been dropped.

The MP said it was "a victory for common sense, the local community and hard parliamentary representation".

Shropshire Council also opposed the plans and its leader, Heather Kidd, said: "We did not believe Dutton Close was a suitable location for this type of accommodation."

She thanked residents and other politicians "for the constructive way they have raised concerns and worked with us during a difficult and sensitive situation".

The plans for Stoke Heath had been met with strong opposition from residents, who said the site was "wholly unsuitable".

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

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

It said the Stoke Heath development had been identified before the new guidance was brought in.

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