Latest news with #Waterlooville
The Independent
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Suella Braverman criticises plans to house asylum seekers in former shop
Former home secretary Suella Braverman has labelled Home Office plans to house asylum seekers in Hampshire in a site formerly used as a Peacocks store as 'utterly inappropriate'. In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the Labour secretary of state, the Conservative MP for Fareham and Waterlooville described the proposal for the site in London Road, Waterlooville, as 'insulting to local people'. She wrote: 'This plan will dump further pressure on policing, healthcare and public infrastructure, all while ignoring the legitimate concerns of residents who have been left voiceless. 'Our town has undergone a transformation and become a welcoming place to work, invest, shop, dine and play. Decisions such as yours will once again make our town centres no-go zones for the patriotic, common-sense majority.' The MP, who has started a petition against the proposal, also stated on her website: 'This site, in the centre of our town, is utterly inappropriate for migrant accommodation. It must be stopped.' A spokesman for Havant Borough Council said the local authority had not initially been consulted on the plans after Clearsprings, a procurement company employed by the Home Office for the project, had used an 'incorrect email address' in a bid to contact the council and had not followed up when it had not received a response. The council has now been granted a 10-day consultation period on the proposals and the Labour leader Phil Munday is to meet with the Home Office. He said: 'Combined with my imminent Home Office meeting, everything is being done to ensure our voice is heard whilst dealing with a challenge being felt nationally. I look forward to the council providing a response that reflects the concerns of the borough.' Mr Munday also criticised Ms Braverman for referring to asylum seekers as 'illegal migrants' on her website. He said: 'They are categorically not recognised by the state as illegal immigrants – regardless of the headline-grabbing title of Suella Braverman's petition – and I urge people to consider this in their views and actions.' A Home Office spokeswoman said it was in 'active dialogue' with the local authority and added: 'We are working to fairly disperse asylum seekers across the country, consulting closely with local authorities and listening to local concerns.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Suella Braverman criticises plans to house asylum seekers in former shop
Former home secretary Suella Braverman has labelled Home Office plans to house asylum seekers in Hampshire in a site formerly used as a Peacocks store as 'utterly inappropriate'. In a letter to Yvette Cooper, the Labour secretary of state, the Conservative MP for Fareham and Waterlooville described the proposal for the site in London Road, Waterlooville, as 'insulting to local people'. She wrote: 'This plan will dump further pressure on policing, healthcare and public infrastructure, all while ignoring the legitimate concerns of residents who have been left voiceless. 'Our town has undergone a transformation and become a welcoming place to work, invest, shop, dine and play. Decisions such as yours will once again make our town centres no-go zones for the patriotic, common-sense majority.' The MP, who has started a petition against the proposal, also stated on her website: 'This site, in the centre of our town, is utterly inappropriate for migrant accommodation. It must be stopped.' A spokesman for Havant Borough Council said the local authority had not initially been consulted on the plans after Clearsprings, a procurement company employed by the Home Office for the project, had used an 'incorrect email address' in a bid to contact the council and had not followed up when it had not received a response. The council has now been granted a 10-day consultation period on the proposals and the Labour leader Phil Munday is to meet with the Home Office. He said: 'Combined with my imminent Home Office meeting, everything is being done to ensure our voice is heard whilst dealing with a challenge being felt nationally. I look forward to the council providing a response that reflects the concerns of the borough.' Mr Munday also criticised Ms Braverman for referring to asylum seekers as 'illegal migrants' on her website. He said: 'They are categorically not recognised by the state as illegal immigrants – regardless of the headline-grabbing title of Suella Braverman's petition – and I urge people to consider this in their views and actions.' A Home Office spokeswoman said it was in 'active dialogue' with the local authority and added: 'We are working to fairly disperse asylum seekers across the country, consulting closely with local authorities and listening to local concerns.'
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Suella Braverman leads campaign against plan to house asylum seekers in 'zombie apocalypse town' with 'Britain's worst high street'
Suella Braverman is leading a campaign to stop plans to house migrants in a town described as looking like it has gone through a 'zombie apocalypse'. A row has broken out in Waterlooville as locals have been left up in arms over proposals to house 35 asylum seekers on its much-scrutinised high street. Over the last two years, the once-thriving Waterlooville has been branded a 'zombie apocalypse town' after videos of its high street went viral, showing it deserted and desolate. It was dubbed a 'ghost town' thanks to scores of boarded-up shops and was singled out as the 'worst high street in Britain'. Efforts have been undertaken to restore the town to its former glory as its local authority - Havant Borough Council - has supported it with a series of grants. Now, the council - as well as the Home Office - have come under fire after it emerged that the Home Office has submitted proposals to locate migrants in Waterlooville. It is claimed that the Home Office proposes to house 35 young male asylum seekers in a building on the high street where fashion shop Peacocks used to be before it closed down. Braverman, Tory MP for Fareham and Waterlooville, took to the high street in Waterlooville to brand the proposals 'outrageous', 'reckless', and 'insulting to local people'. Braverman said: 'Housing illegal migrants and 'asylum seekers' in Waterlooville Town Centre is totally wrong. 'Our local services are already under strain. 'This plan will dump further pressure on policing, healthcare, and public infrastructure, all while ignoring the legitimate concerns of residents who have been left voiceless. 'Waterlooville families deserve better than to have their town centre used as overflow accommodation because Labour has lost control of our borders after scrapping the Rwanda plan.' The former Home Secretary has called on constituents to sign a petition to stop the proposals. She has also written to the Home Office, urging Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to abandon them. Braverman has also accused Havant Borough Council of failing to object to the Home Office's plans. She said: 'Shamefully, we have been informed that HBC did not respond to the consultation from Clearsprings, the housing provider, and HBC did not object to the proposals.' News of the proposals being shared by Braverman has caused a row between Havant Borough Council and the Home Office. In a strongly-worded statement, the council said the Home Office and Clearsprings made a blunder by sending an email to the wrong address. The council also said they have not had appropriate time to consider the plans. A spokesperson said: 'The Home Office and Clearsprings, the property procurement company acting on their behalf, contacted Havant Borough Council in June 2025 in relation to a consultation on these placements. 'It has since become apparent the email to consult on this matter had been sent to the email address of an external contractor who was not only not qualified to respond, but also no longer works on behalf of the council. 'Havant Borough Council does not consider appropriate contact was made and has highlighted to both the Home Office and Clearsprings that matters of this sensitive nature must firmly be discussed in the first instance with the Chief Executive and lead for Housing, in addition to the elected Administration. 'The council has since been in contact with The Home Office, urgently requesting that the consultation period is extended to allow the council to express its views on this matter. 'This is to ensure matters of this nature are given proper consideration, allowing for qualified feedback to be expressed under a formal process.' Leader of Havant Borough Council, Labour Councillor Phil Munday, said: 'I understand we have an instructed duty from the Home Office to house asylum seekers within the borough, however it is important that the council works closely with all concerned to advise on the placement for these vulnerable people. 'I have taken immediate action and personally called The Home Office to request an extension to their consultation in order for us to respond accordingly. 'This has also been followed up with formal requests in writing from our officers. 'We are extremely disappointed that the company involved with this important consultation, considering the impact it may have on our local community, was not only sent to an incorrect email address, but they also failed to follow up to ensure a response of some kind was registered. 'These consultation exercises need to be taken seriously.' Cllr Munday added that he has 'grave concerns' about the impact the recent campaign video posted by MP Suella Braverman will have. 'I would urge the community to act responsibly and allow us to address this matter formally in the correct manner,' he said. 'As part of my open letter to Suella Braverman MP on this matter I will be reminding her that those who could potentially be accommodated somewhere within our borough, will be supported asylum seekers. 'They are categorically not recognised by the state as illegal immigrants - regardless of the headline-grabbing title of Suella Braverman's petition - and I urge people to consider this in their views and actions.' Havant Borough Council has no overall control and last year a coalition was formed between Labour, Liberal Democrats and Green Party Councillors.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Waterlooville asylum housing consultation extended after email 'problem'
The consultation period for planned asylum seeker housing in a town centre has been extended due to "communication problems" at a local Borough Council previously said there had not been "appropriate contact" about possible dispersal accommodation in authority said the Home Office and its property procurement company had emailed in June about the proposal, but this was "sent to the email address of an external contractor" who no longer works for the an update earlier, the authority confirmed a 10-day consultation had since been secured after "strong and honest dialogue" with the Home Office. The consultation being reopened comes after council leader Phil Munday said he was "extremely disappointed" there was no follow-up to ensure there had been a response. When the authority was made aware of the "communication problem" it said it "promptly took action" to secure an statement said the consultation would allow it more time to "formally respond on potential issues such as appropriate placement, community cohesion and other variables that the council is ideally placed to highlight". "The council as part of this consultation, will secure perspectives and feedback from councillors, key stakeholders and more to inform their opinion," it added. Mr Munday said he would be meeting with the Home Office on Friday to "highlight his concerns to date".He added: "The council has unequivocally fought hard to secure the consultation and the means to give our vital local perspective on this important issue."Everything is being done to ensure our voice is heard whilst dealing with a challenge being felt nationally. I look forward to the council providing a response that reflects the concerns of the borough."The council now has until Friday 1 August to respond to the consultation, at which point it will await the Home Office's final decision on whether to approve the proposed accommodation.A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are working to fairly disperse asylum seekers across the country, consulting closely with local authorities and listening to local concerns." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Don't wait until September to buy your kids' school shoes – as supermarket slashes prices by a huge 70%
MONEY-SMART parents are flooding to a major supermarket to snap up school shoes on the cheap. A popular UK store has sent shoppers totally wild after slashing the price of £20 school footwear - and now customers can save a whopping 70%. 2 2 While kids may still be enjoying summer fun, it's always good to be prepared in advanced - and if you're keen to save some cash, it's worth taking a trip to the local Sainsbury's. According to bargain-mad Brits, the mega supermarket is now flogging cut-price school shoes - and there are huge savings to be made. Informing fellow parents about the deal, one shopper, Kelly Gillingham, took to Facebook to share the news. Posting on the popular Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group, the thrifty customer said: ''Sainsburys 70% off school shoes.'' In the post, Kelly also showed off her epic haul, which included black trainers with a star design, originally going for £16 and now slashed by 70%. The mega haul also included a pair of black trainers, retailing for £14 before the reductions, as well as more smart shoes, £20 before the sale. Whilst shopping at the local store, Kelly also snapped up a pair of black shoes with a strap and teeny diamantes - £18 before the epic sale. Sharing the news to the other 2.6million members of the page, the bargain hunter said: ''Not sure if it's in all of them this was Waterlooville.'' If you're keen to get a pair before September, you'll have to head to buy them in store - as the deal doesn't appear to be available online. The post, uploaded less than 24 hours ago, has already taken the internet by storm, winning Kelly more than 220 likes. Over 210 people flooded to comments where they tagged their friends and family to inform them about the fabulous deal. One told their pal: ''Fancy a trip tomorrow?'' A second chimed in: ''I need to go.'' Full list of kids eat free offers THERE are plenty of chains to choose from offering kids eat free programmes during school holidays. Choose from any of the following... Angus Steakhouse – Kids under 8 and under eat free from the children's menu when an adult orders a meal; available daily from 12pm–5pm. Ask Italian - During school holidays, kids eat for £1 when an adult buys a main. You'll need to get a code for the promotion by filling in a short form on the chain's website. Asda Cafés – Kids' meals for £1 all day, every day across 205 stores nationwide. There's no minimum spend needed. Bar + Block – Up to two children under 16 eat breakfast free with each adult buying one all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast for £10.99. Beefeater – Two kids under 16 can eat free with every adult breakfast bought for £10.99. Bellia Italia - Kids eat free every Thursday and for £1 until 6pm, from Sunday to Wednesday when an adult meal is bought. Bill's – Up to two kids eat free from Monday to Friday, when one adult orders any main dish breakfast, lunch or dinner. Brewdog - One free kids meal for under 13s, when purchasing an adults main meal over summer holidays. Brewers Fayre - Two kids under 16 eat free with every adult breakfast for £10.99. Dobbies Garden Centres – Kids eat for £1 with the purchase of an adult main course,available every day. Chiquito - One kid eats free with every adult main purchased overthe school holidays. Côte Brasserie - Children aged 12 and under can tuck into two complimentary courses when parents spend a minimum of £20 over the school holidays. Farmhouse Inns – Two kids eat free with one paying adult. Franco Manca - One kid 12 and under get a complimentary individual kids pizza for every full-priced adult main meal from Monday to Thursday during the holidays. Frankie & Benny's - Kids can eat for free every day when any adult meal is purchased. IKEA – Kids meals start at 95p for pasta and tomato sauce available daily from 11am in restaurants. Las Iguanas – Kids under 12 eat free with the My Las Iguanas App during the holidays. Morrisons Cafés – One free kids' meal with any adult meal over £4.50. The offer is available daily. Pausa Cafés at Dunelm – Kids eat free with every £4 spent in the café all day, everyday. Premier Inn – Up to two kids eat free breakfast with an adult breakfast, £10.99. PIzza Express - Kids get a free meal Monday to Friday when an adult meal is purchased during school holidays. Sizzling Pubs – Kids eat for £1 with the purchase of an adult main meal, Monday to Friday between 3–7pm. Tesco - Kids eat free, worth £4, when you purchase anything from the menu including fruit for 65p if you're a Clubcard holder TGI Fridays – Kids eat free with any adult main meal for Stripes loyalty members, available all day, every day. The Real Greek – Kids under 12 eat free with every £15 adult spend on Sundays only. Yo! Sushi - Kids eat free all day with a full-paying adult during local school holidays. Whitbread Inns - Two kids under 16 eat breakfast free with every adult full breakfast, £20.99. '' I could see if there is any flashing ones,'' someone else commented. But whilst many were flooding to buy a pair for their little ones, not everyone was raving about the over - as one disappointed customer claimed their purchase fell apart. The disgruntled Sainsbury's shopper said: ''They don't last 5 mins.
