Families in the coastal village of Gronant in Flintshire, known for its little tern colony and sandy beaches, have reacted with fury to secret Home Office plans to house asylum seekers there. The village, with a population of around 1,600, has been told that 13 of 15 new homes at the former Gronant Institute site will be used by Clearsprings, a company working for the Home Office, to accommodate families awaiting asylum decisions.
Community anger over lack of consultation
Local councillor Glyn Banks is seeking a meeting with the area's Labour MP, police, and concerned residents. He said: "The lack of any early briefing from Clearsprings or the Home Office has caused great upset in the community." Residents are angry that they were not properly informed about the proposals before they emerged.
Political reaction
Reform Welsh Senedd member Tom Montgomery claimed as many as 52 asylum seekers could be housed at the site. He has written to the UK Government asking what security checks have been carried out and demanding that the proposals be stopped. Mr Montgomery said: "With Gronant only having 697 households, limited services, and poor public transport links, it should be apparent to any reasonable person that it is the wrong place to house asylum-seekers."
Council defends asylum seekers
Flintshire County Council defended the asylum seekers who could be housed there. A spokesman said: "They are not illegal immigrants, they are individuals exercising their legal right to claim asylum and deserve to be treated with compassion and respect."
