Reform Welsh Senedd member Tom Montgomery claimed as many as 52 asylum seekers could be housed at the site.A
Sunset over the Welsh coast near Gronant (Image: Getty)
Families in an idyllic coastal village better known for its colony of little terns have reacted with fury to secretive Home Office plans to house asylum seekers there. Residents of Gronant in Flintshire, which has a population of around 1,600, have been told that 13 of 15 new homes at the former Gronant Institute site are due to be used by Clearsprings, a company working for the Home Office, to accommodate families awaiting decisions on their asylum claims.
Local councillor Glyn Banks is seeking a meeting involving the area’s Labour MP, police and representatives of concerned residents. He said: “The lack of any early briefing from Clearsprings or the Home Office has caused great upset in the community.”
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 are 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.”
The plans have prompted concern in the village, with residents angry that they say they were not properly informed about the proposals before they emerged.
Gronant is home to an important colony of little terns and is known for its coastal setting and sandy beaches.
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.”