Letter to the editor: Closure of Cisswood House asylum accommodation welcome news for local residents

I welcome the news that the Home Office asylum accommodation at Cisswood House has now closed.

For many local residents, this will come as a significant relief. Whatever people's views on immigration, there has been considerable concern within the community about the suitability of the site, the lack of local consultation before it was opened, and the limited communication provided to residents throughout its operation.

As a Horsham District Councillor, I have consistently called for greater transparency, better safeguarding arrangements and improved communication between the Home Office, accommodation providers, local authorities and the public. Residents repeatedly raised questions about who was being housed at the site, what support and safeguarding measures were in place, and how concerns could be reported. Too often, those questions went unanswered or were answered only after considerable pressure.

Recent criminal cases involving individuals reportedly housed at the hotel understandably heightened public concern and undermined confidence in the arrangements. While it is important not to unfairly judge entire groups of people by the actions of a small minority, it is equally important that legitimate concerns about public safety are neither dismissed nor ignored.

Communities have a right to expect that appropriate safeguarding measures are in place and that local people are kept informed about decisions that affect their neighbourhoods.

I would like to thank residents who took the time to raise concerns, attend meetings and engage constructively throughout this difficult period. Their voices deserved to be heard.

I cannot help but wonder whether the sustained calls from local residents, councillors and community representatives for greater accountability and transparency have played some part in the eventual decision to close the site. Whether or not that is the case, the closure marks the end of a chapter that many local people will be pleased to see conclude.

As we move forward, I hope lessons will be learned about the importance of community engagement, safeguarding and public confidence whenever major accommodation decisions are made in the future.

Cllr Tony Hogben
Reform UK Councillor for Rusper & Colgate