East Sussex site earmarked for asylum centre 'bought by Home Office'

Northeye, in Bexhill, is one of several sites chosen by the Home Office.

It has also confirmed this week that it is exploring the possibility of the site being used as a detention centre for those who ‘arrive in the UK illegally’.

A spokesperson for Bexhill MP, Huw Merriman said: “The Home Office confirmed in a meeting last week that the sale of the Northeye site has been completed. The Land Registry record shows that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLHC) holds the land but the Home Office confirmed that ‘all civil estate is purchased in the name of DLHC, so even though Home Office completed the purchase of Bexhill the entry on land registry will be DLHC’.

“The Home Office is carrying out further site surveys and testing which will go on for at least a couple of months.”

Last month, a petition signed by more than 2,000 people opposing Government plans to turn the former prison and training centre into a centre for asylum seekers, was handed to Rother District Council by the No to Northeye group, calling on the authority to oppose the plans by the Home Office.

Since the plans for Northeye were first unveiled in March, several protests have been held in Bexhill, organised by the No to Northeye group.

At the end of August, Mr Merriman first revealed that the Home Office was now planning to use Northeye as a centre for those ‘awaiting deportation’.

He said this would mean that the centre would be a ‘closed, detained and secure site’ and that those staying would ‘not be expected to remain for longer than 45 days’.

This week, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The removal of foreign criminals and illegal migrants remains our priority, which is why we are exploring the use of the Bexhill site for detention purposes.

“We are working closely with local stakeholders, other government departments and our contractors to ensure the facility is delivered in a way which minimises the impact on the local community.”