Mims Davies MP urgently speaks in the Chamber on Crowborough Army Camp and writes to Wealden District Council

Today, Mims managed to quickly submit an Urgent Question in the House of Commons on this very topic, and mentioning the Copthorne Hotel, asking the Minister if he will work with Wealden District Council leadership to hold public meetings with residents to properly address the significant issues raised.

A video of Mims’ speech can be found here:
https://www.mimsdavies.org.uk/news/mims-davies-mp-urgently-speaks-chamber-crowborough-army-camp-and-writes-wealden-district

If you are a resident of East Grinstead, Uckfield, and the villages please sign Mims' petition below:

https://www.mimsdavies.org.uk/no-asylum-housing-crowborough-training-camp

Whilst Crowborough isn't in Mims' constituency, she is aware residents of EGU who live close by are extremely concerned about what is happening in the Crowborough Training Camp as this will affect the Wealden district and services in our constituency.

Along with Nus Ghani MP for Crowborough, and Dr Kieran Mullan MP, Mims has written to the leaders of Wealden District Council, which you can see by following the link here – https://www.mimsdavies.org.uk/news/mims-davies-mp-urgently-speaks-chamber-crowborough-army-camp-and-writes-wealden-district, requesting a swift response and a substantial, conclusive answer.

Like many EGU residents, Mims is furious to read from the media that this Labour Government's Home Office and Ministry of Defence have been in private conversations with the Green Party and Liberal Democrat Leadership at Wealden District Council to potentially use the Crowborough Training Camp to house asylum seekers soon.

Under the previous Conservative Government, the Crowborough site was rejected outright.

This was due to its layout and the difficulty in it being adapted and the extra costs that would be involved. Furthermore, modifying the site would put it in conflict with the local Council’s Crowborough National Landscape and planning policy.

This site has already been rejected as being wholly inappropriate.

Mims Davies MP said in the Chamber:

“Well, what a bolt from the blue!

There has been huge concern throughout the Wealden district since the news broke of a “boats to barracks” plan in Sussex.

The council leadership urgently needs to speak to local MPs, as do many other councillors, to assuage deep concerns about hundreds of asylum seekers coming to a very rural part of Sussex.

Does this simply mean that people living in the Copthorne hotel will move to the barracks?

Will the Minister kindly try to work with the Wealden district council leadership, so that public meetings can be held locally to discuss the significant issues that have arisen and the discussions that have taken place?

What is happening about the planning process, and the community and police support?

Many people need to understand these matters, given the unexpected choice of such a countryside location.”

If you are a resident of Nus Ghani MP in Sussex Weald - please sign her petition here - https://www.nusghani.org.uk/NoAsylumHousing