Simon Jones and
Craig Buchan,South East
Eddie MitchellHundreds of people have assembled in East Sussex to protest government plans to house asylum seekers at a military site.
Up to 540 single, male asylum seekers will be temporarily housed at an army training camp on the outskirts of Crowborough for about 12 months, according to the latest Home Office details.
Wealden District Council, the local authority, passed a motion formally opposing the government proposal on Wednesday and said it had served a planning contravention notice against the Home Office.
The Home Office said it was “continuing to engage with local authorities and stakeholders to address the concerns of those most impacted by the sites”.
“We have committed to close every asylum hotel and as part of this we are working to move asylum seekers into more suitable accommodation such as military bases,” a spokesperson said.
The protest was supported by national campaigners, but some participants in Sunday’s march told the they were not there to make wider political points.
Protester Ken Adams, who said he lived in Crowborough, told the he was there to “protest against the government’s ill-advised decision”.
The government and previous governments “should have sorted this out”, he said.
Organisers for Sunday’s protest asked participants to wear individual numbers to represent the number of migrants who could arrive in the town.
Protesters chanted “Crowborough says no” and “protect our community”.
Sussex Police said officers “worked to keep any disruption in the locality to a minimum” and there were no arrests.
No arrests were made at the previous protest in Crowborough.
Wealden District Council said the planning contravention notice would “help to identify whether there are any grounds for challenge in relation to planning law or more generally”.
Officials cannot use enforcement powers until “after there has been a breach of planning control”, according to the council.