Havant Borough Council was the recipient of a petition organised by Suella Braverman, MP for Fareham and Waterlooville, delivered to the Public Service Plaza on Thursday 24 July.
The petition was in relation to the proposed asylum accommodation in Waterlooville town centre. Currently, the council is in formal consultation with the Home Office over the proposal. The council’s role is to report back on the feasibility of the proposal and articulate practical concerns it may have.
The council can allude to the submission of the petition – once validated - in its response to the Home Office, but the very strict criteria of the Home Office’s consultation limits how this can be used in our response. Nevertheless, the council will do its utmost to reflect the view of residents when submitting its response. This is in addition to direct dialogues held between the Leader of the council and the Home Office regarding the proposed accommodation. As a result of these combined efforts, the Home Office have since confirmed that the accommodation is “best suited for the use of couples, or single parents with young children. There is one single flat which would most likely be utilised for a single adult female.”
Suella Braverman has also been invited to take part in the consultation, and to represent the views of her constituents accordingly.
Leader of Havant Borough Council, Councillor Phil Munday stated “Having received the petition from Suella Braverman, I am yet again concerned with her repeated use of inaccurate language in her supporting letter which only seeks to exacerbate fear in the hearts and minds of our concerned residents. Repeated reference to illegal immigrants and unwanted men flames fears when we know as a matter of fact all users of the proposed accommodation are supported asylum seekers. Furthermore, the proposed use – as I discussed in depth with the Home Office personally – is that the accommodation would be used by a mix of families and individuals. This is a marked difference to the quite frankly offensive remarks that the proposed use of the site is to solely house dangerous single men of detriment to the borough.”
The consultation ends on Friday 1 August, after which the Home Office will decide whether to approve the proposed accommodation.