- Care home needed £4million investment to house 50 child asylum seekers
- Locals protested against the plans after they were made public in March
- Residents are concerned the council will propose similar plans
A small seaside town has declared victory over ‘insane’ council plans to use luxury retirement homes with stunning sea views to house migrant children.
Kent County Council had planned to use Ocean Heights care home in picturesque Minster on Sea on the Isle of Sheppey to house 50 unaccompanied asylum seekers aged 16 and 17.
Residents took to the streets in a peaceful protest after the £4million plans to turn the care home into migrant accommodation were announced in March.
Anger deepened when another nearby care home shut – leaving elderly residents forced to move to other parts of Kent.
The owners of the home pulled out of the deal amid the outrage from locals, who told MailOnline of their delight that the plans were scrapped.
But there are concerns other similar proposals could return after the authority warned it was so overwhelmed by unaccompanied migrant children that it might have to stop taking local youngsters into care.
Steven Hogben, 75, said: ‘It’s time for a party. It’s great news. I was utterly astonished to hear they thought it would be a good idea to put asylum seeker children in there. I have never known anything so stupid.’
‘This is a village made up of largely elderly and those close to retiring. There’s nothing for young people to do. It would have caused big problems.
‘It made no sense. I am very glad they have reversed that decision.
‘I understand the county council is in a very difficult place, but where would the duty of care to both the children and locals have been if that had gone ahead? They would not have had a social life.’
But Mr Hogben said he was worried about what the authority might ‘try next’. He said: ‘If they think a care home is a good idea, what will they think next?
‘It could be anywhere. We should be on our guard.’
Retired social worker Pauline Hutchings, 74, said the priority should be British people.
She said: ‘We need to be the priority. British people have lived here and worked here all our lives.
‘We are sinking as a country because of the amount of asylum seekers.
‘I know people who cannot get their children in schools because of shortage of spaces.
‘Our local amenities are stretched to the limit as a result of immigration. That needs to be a place for elderly people to live before they die.’
Retired managing director Stephen Peer has lived in Minster for three years and before that on-and-off for 20 years.
He signed a petition against the plan as he was worried what ‘friction’ would be caused between the youngsters and locals.
The 68-year-old said: ‘I was so pleased to hear it had been scrapped. It was a relief.
‘Who honestly could say that would be a good idea? In a small town with nothing for them to do? It was an accident waiting to happen.
‘I have every sympathy for the migrants and for what they have been through.
‘But this would be awful. It needs to be a home for elderly people.’
Mr Peer said he was worried about what would happen now. He added: ‘It’s perfect for the elderly. It has stunning sea views and is one of the nicest areas locally.
‘It’s a very exclusive area. It would be lovely to spend your last few years here.’
Retired product manager John Hilton, 70, said he was now concerned about its future.
He said: ‘It would have upset people. There would have been issues. God knows what would have happened.
‘People would have felt unsafe walking around there. They would have felt like prisoners.’
Michael Peddy, 53, has lived in the area for 30 years and said it was a ‘insane’ plan.
The mechanic said: ‘It was just insane. But I am worried they will try again.
‘More and more migrants are coming across all the time. It will pile pressure on the system, which is already stretched.
‘I think they’ll soon be forced to home them there and then whatever next really. We need to get a grip on this problem. It’s a nightmare.’
He said locals were considering moving as a result.
He added: ‘I live here with my wife and children. We’d have looked at moving. I don’t think people would have felt safe.
‘The youngsters there have been through a very difficult and tough time. Cramping them into a place like that in a town like this would have been terrible for everyone.
‘It would be a recipe for disaster. The site is really for people who have worked all their lives and want to end their lives peacefully, with dignity and respect. They need to be the priority.
‘The idea the other home was closing as well and then the children move in from other countries made people very angry. Locals need to be treated better.’
Roger Gough, Leader of Kent County Council, said: ‘It is disappointing to have to confirm that Ocean Heights on the Isle of Sheppey has been withdrawn from sale.
‘The building was one of seven additional facilities we identified to supplement the two existing reception centres for unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children. These buildings, funded by central government, will increase our capacity to accommodate and care for all UAS children arriving in Kent, as required by the High Court.
‘We have been transparent about the arrangements for all centres as temporary homes for children, aged under 18, as set out on our website – Reception Centres – Kent County Council
‘Given our legal responsibilities, and the High Court’s direction, we are establishing the additional reception centres and will identify other suitable locations to accommodate the increasing numbers of unaccompanied minors arriving on our shores.
‘We will also continue pressing government through all routes, including judicial, to ensure the National Transfer Scheme works and all local authorities take their responsibility for the care of UAS children – ending the intolerable burden this national issue places upon Kent.’
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Isaac Crowson
