Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council understands that residents are anxious to know more about the Home Office’s proposals to use the Northeye site in Bexhill for the accommodation of up to 1200 single male asylum seekers. We share residents’ concerns about these proposals and have repeatedly sought further information from the Home Office – disappointingly we have no further information at this time.

We will continue to raise residents’ concerns and also ask the Home Office to confirm both the details of their proposals and how and when a decision will be made.   Meanwhile, we are liaising with two other local authorities whose sites are further advanced and were announced at the same time as the Northeye announcement, namely West Lindsey District Council (Scampton) and Braintree District Council (Wethersfield).  The projects in both those sites are more advanced, not least because they are already owned by the Government. We are following with interest the outcome of legal action taken by both Councils so that if and when the Home Office makes a decision about Northeye we are fully informed and ready to act appropriately.

Published: 22nd May 2023