In photos: protest in Crowborough over plans to use army camp site for asylum accommodation

Sussex Police confirmed that the ‘planned peaceful protest’ was held in Crowborough on the morning of Sunday, November 16.

A police spokesperson said: “Officers worked to keep any disruption in the locality to a minimum while the event took place. There were no arrests.”

The protest was held after Wealden District Council (WDC) revealed it is seeking advice on legal options to challenge the Home Office.

The Home Office confirmed on October 28 that the Crowborough Army Camp site is set to house up to 540 single male adults from the end of November for up to 12 months. Updates on the proposal can be found at www.wealden.gov.uk/crowborough-army-camp.

WDC published a letter to the Home Office on Friday, November 14. This letter said there is ‘considerable concern’ from residents about the proposal, as well as concern ‘on the part of other bodies which may be affected’.

The letter said: “The Council is concerned about the planning implications of the Proposal.”

It said: “If the Proposal were to be implemented, that is likely to have a significant impact on the residents of the Council’s area, the Council itself, and other bodies which may be affected. Accordingly, it is vital that there is as much advance notice as possible of the implementation of any decision to proceed with the Proposal.”

The Home Office has published a fact sheet at www.gov.uk/government.

The fact sheet said: “The UK government has a statutory obligation to provide asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute with accommodation. The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly; and ensures the rules are properly enforced. We have committed to exiting hotels at the earliest opportunity, and in order to do this we need to stand up alternative accommodation which is better suited to this purpose.

“MoD have offered the site to the Home Office for a period of 12 months, after which it will return to MoD as part of their estate.”

The fact sheet said Crowborough Training Camp provides ‘basic, safe accommodation for asylum seekers and is designed to be as self-sufficient as possible’. It added: “The site was recently used as transitional accommodation for the Afghan Resettlement Programme.”

The fact sheet said the site will accommodate ‘single adult male asylum seekers between the ages of 18 and 65’. It added that public safety ‘remains our first priority’ and said there would be ‘mandatory security checks’ on all asylum seekers.

The fact sheet said: “All asylum claimants are subject to these mandatory security checks to confirm their identity and to link it to their biometric details for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks. This includes criminality checks against databases for, amongst other things, convictions, pending prosecutions, wanted or missing reports as well as fingerprints and photographs.”

It said: “We will work closely and routinely with Sussex Police to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place for the safety and security of the asylum seekers and the wider community. The Home Office also continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, the NHS, the Police, and local partners, including via Multi Agency Forums pre-delivery and post-Go Live of the site to address the concerns of those most impacted by the site and to identify ways to keep them informed.”

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Katy Bourne has announced she will question Sussex Police chief officers at her regular Performance & Accountability Meeting (PAM) on Thursday, November 20. She saidf the main focus will be on the Home Office’s decision to use the former army training camp for asylum seekers.

Before the meeting PCC Katy Bourne said: “I know that many residents in Crowborough and the surrounding areas are understandably concerned about the impact this decision may have on their community.

“I will be asking the Chief Constable to provide assurances about public safety and policing plans and how Sussex Police will work with partners to manage any challenges. It’s vital that local people feel reassured that their concerns are not only being heard but also addressed.

“As soon as I heard about the plans for the Crowborough site, I wrote to the Home Secretary and the Minister for Border Security and Asylum to point out that the site had previously been deemed unsuitable by the Home Office under the previous Conservative Government, and to articulate local residents’ dismay and anger at the lack of public consultation and concerns regarding safety.”