Council leader urges bodies to work in unity after Serco wins Stafford asylum seeker housing appeal
Stafford Borough Council leader Aidan Godfrey is urging organisations to work in partnership after a private firm won a planning appeal to create a housing centre for hundreds of asylum seekers on the outskirts of the town.
Councillors last year rejected Serco's plans to transform the former Stafford Court student flats in Beaconside into a temporary accommodation centre for 481 people. But the company lodged an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate which was upheld after a hearing last month.
Now Councillor Godfrey is calling for unity among services operating in the town to ensure both residents and the asylum seekers feel safe when hundreds are placed in the former university accommodation block.
Following the appeal decision, Councillor Godfrey said: “Our town has an excellent track record of welcoming people from all over the world to our area and helping them make the borough their home – many of whom will have fled war or persecution in their own countries.
“The Planning Inspector has decided that the former university accommodation in Stafford is suitable for this asylum centre and it is now important for the council, our partners, and voluntary groups to work with Serco and the Home Office to ensure the concerns that some residents expressed at the inquiry are addressed and allayed.
"The health and wellbeing of everyone in our community is a priority – including those who live and work here already, and those who will make Stafford their temporary home.”
Serco is proposing 171 initial accommodation beds providing urgent short-term places for asylum seekers needing somewhere to stay before their support applications can be assessed. A further 310 places will provide “dispersed accommodation” for the longer term while applicants wait for their asylum claim to be fully determined, which could range from months to years.
The council threw out the application last year after concerns were raised about safety, social inclusivity, impact on public health services and fear of crime.
But Serco representatives told the hearing there was an urgent need for asylum seeker accommodation. The company said it was pleased with the outcome.
“Serco is pleased that the court has upheld our appeal. We will now engage with the local community and other stakeholders to address the concerns that people have raised and work towards ensuring that we establish safe and decent accommodation for these vulnerable people,” it said.
The site will become temporary housing until July 31, 2029.
