MIGRANT STREET

An exclusive report reveals significant local anger in the Shropshire village of Stoke Heath, where 21 newly built homes — valued at around £250,000 each — have been allocated to house 83 asylum seekers, many of them families.

Residents claim they were originally told the development would provide affordable and social housing for local people. Instead, the properties have remained empty for over a year before being reassigned to asylum accommodation, leading to accusations that villagers were misled.

Local Reactions

One resident told The Sun: “It’s bang out of order. It doesn’t feel fair that these people will be living in shiny new homes free of charge, which hard-working local folk could never afford.”

Emma O’Sullivan, 30, a mother of three teenage girls, expressed concern: “We were told that the new development would be social houses… Now we’re told they will be used for asylum seekers… We feel like we’ve been lied to.” She worries about the impact on local schools and infrastructure.

Another local described the estate as “Migrant Street,” while Army veteran John “Basil” Brockhurst argued that the housing should go to British people struggling on the poverty line rather than those arriving from abroad.

Political and Official Response

The area’s Conservative MP, Mark Pritchard, has strongly opposed the plans, calling Stoke Heath a “completely inappropriate location” due to its isolated rural setting and limited public services. He vowed to fight the scheme.

Shropshire Council has raised formal concerns with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, and the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia described the plan as “wholly inappropriate.”

Government Context

The move is part of the Government’s strategy to reduce the use of expensive hotel accommodation for asylum seekers. As of March, over 20,000 asylum seekers were still in hotels, with tens of thousands more in other forms of housing.

Outsourcing firm Serco, which handles accommodation in the West Midlands under Home Office direction, stated that placement decisions are made centrally based on national demand. The Home Office emphasised efforts to process claims faster, cut asylum claims, and increase removals while shifting people out of hotels.

One migrant family has reportedly already moved in, with more arrivals expected soon. The situation continues to spark heated debate in the village and beyond.