Asylum housing plans dropped after objections

The Home Office has dropped plans to convert a former hospital into accommodation for asylum seekers following pressure from the council and MP.

The government and accommodation provider Clearsprings Ready Homes were looking to use the unoccupied Esperance Hospital in Eastbourne as temporary accommodation for up to 125 people seeking asylum.

Although nothing had been agreed, Eastbourne Borough Council objected to the scheme, while Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde urged the government to reconsider.

The Home Office said it did not comment on individual accommodation sites.

Babarinde wrote to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in January to express "serious concerns" about the plans.

He said issues including a lack of school places, GP appointments and an already-significant homeless crisis had not been adequately addressed.

The MP also thought there had been a lack of consultation on the proposals.

Following the news of the plans being dropped, Babarinde said: "Eastbourne is a compassionate and inclusive town and we do play our part - but mass accommodation schemes like the one that was proposed are not the way."

Stephen Holt, Eastbourne Borough Council's leader, said: "I made very clear to the Home Office that this site was inappropriate, and this is a result of our continued representations."

He added that it was "the right decision for our town."

While Robert Smart, the town's Conservative party leader, said: "While this decision is welcome, it should never have been considered in the first place."

The Esperance Hospital in Eastbourne operated from the 1920s until its closure in July 2019. Work has since been carried out to convert the building into 45 flats.

The 52-room private hospital, which was previously run by BMI Healthcare Ltd, has been vacant since March 2020.

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