MP Sir John Hayes has called a public meeting over a pledge by the Home Office to house asylum seekers in Sutton Bridge.
Now Sir John Hayes says the proposal relates to the Bridge Hotel in the town which is currently being refurbished.
The meeting is to take place at The Curlew Centre in Sutton Bridge at 7pm on Friday, June 5.
Sir John said, “Sutton Bridge can be sure of my stalwart opposition to this and my staunch support for my constituents.”
He’s written a letter to local residents announcing the meeting.
It says: “Clearly this completely unacceptable proposal is causing a great deal of concern for local residents. I share their concern.
“We were all pleased to see the Bridge Hotel being renovated so it would not longer be an eyesore and assumed that its conversion into residential units would offer much needed housing for local people.
“However, the plan is to accommodate a concentration of asylum seekers will change the character of the town, increase pressure on local services and offer no benefit whatsoever for local people.
The letter continues that ‘the plan to accommodate a concentration of asylum seekers will change the character of the town, increase pressure on local services and offer no benefit whatsoever for local people. To
this end, we need to rally local opposition to what is, clearly, a wholly inappropriate proposal.”
“As well as legitimate local opposition, what is suggested is at odds with national policy – which states that asylum dispersal must avoid over-concentration in any one community and must ensure that no single area is overburdened.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government is restoring control to our borders by removing the incentives drawing illegal migrants to the UK and increasing removals of those with no right to be here.
“We will close all asylum hotels by the end of this parliament and are moving asylum seekers into more suitable accommodation.”
