Refugee families fleeing the horrors of Afghanistan will be welcomed in South Holland.
The district is set to home the first two families of English translators in the coming weeks. They would have been targeted by the Taliban for working with UK or American troops if they had been unable to escape.
The district council has already signed up to offer relocation and safety. And leader Lord Gary Porter said he believed residents would welcome the move amid a humanitarian crisis unfolding in the country,
“I think the people of South Holland will think it is right and proper that we do our bit – there is a moral obligation to these people,” he said speaking on Tuesday.
His view was echoed by South Holland vicar Rev David Hill who is calling for the old Johnson Hospital to be used as a temporary refuge.
“The debacle over the withdrawal from Afghanistan has been so badly misjudged and our hearts go out to those now suffering there. We have a moral duty to former interpreters and others who have supported our troops and who have not yet been able to escape from the inevitable wrath of the Taliban,” he said.
“The embarrassing eyesore on Priory Road that is the old hospital could be a beacon of hope and an example to other authorities,” he added.
He is calling for the government to push through measures to allow former public buildings being left to rot to be reclaimed.
“This building and the nurses’ hostel next door could be brought back to use as the Johnson Hostel, providing a safe home,” said the Rev Hill, of Spalding. He said up to 24 people could be helped with local charity and support.
But the building is in bad disrepair and has a lot of asbestos inside which would make it a huge, multi-million pound project. Lord Porter said the old hospital was beyond using without a huge investment.
But he said the council would ‘in principal’ support the turning over of vacant properties for homes.
“If anybody comes up with anywhere on a smaller scale more suitable, I will be happy to have a look to see if it can be used,” he said.
Council chairman Paul Redgate said it would support moves to offer refuge to those in danger from Afghanistan and said that people in the western world should be offering support.
The former hospital has been empty since 2009 and is owned by an offshore company which became known as Suntera Trustees (Jersey) Ltd in September 2020 having previously been called the SMP Helm Trust.
