Comments from Rhion Jones tCi:
“This story, from the Derby Telegraph is typical of the problems that arise if local people are not sufficiently well enough engaged, when contentious proposals affect them. This is a tale of neighbours to a disused university hall of residence, being denied information and a consultation opportunity because of an administrative problem. It demonstrates the importance of high quality engagement with local communities to dissolve potential conflict.”
Article:
People concerned they could be living near to the site of a proposed reception centre for asylum seekers had the chance to find out more about the plan.
But they missed out because 3,000 leaflets telling them about the information afternoon were not sent out by G4S.
The event took place at the University of Derby Enterprise Centre, in Bridge Street on Thursday, July 27.
A small number of residents in the Peet Street area of Derby found out through Debbie Regan, who has been campaigning against the proposal to turn former university student housing at Laverstoke Court into an initial accommodation centre.
It would be a place where asylum seekers could stay for about three weeks while their applications to live in the UK were processed.
She said: “I was told on an email that the event was taking place and that a leaflet would be sent out to local people. But none arrived and so I told some people about it and they went along to the event but there were only about eight or nine from what I was able to tell.
“I am very unhappy about all of this. If G4S cannot even send a leaflet out, what chance they can run a reception centre for refugees? Also, while I was there, I did not feel reassured by anything I heard – I still think this is a totally unsuitable area for this place to be set up.”
Hundreds of people have already signed a petition against the plan for a 240-place asylum seeker centre, which was submitted to Derby City Council by Urban Housing Services, acting on behalf of G4S – one of three organisations responsible for finding homes for refugees and asylum seekers across the country.
The application is involves a change of use for the premises.
People were already unhappy about a lack of consultation and had been calling for a meeting. Mrs Regan added: “Local residents would have been concerned that the information event was not taking place in the area and was staged some distance away.”
Juliet Halstead, G4S head of housing, said that the leaflet drop had been planned for last Friday. She said: “It seems we have been let down by the people who would normally do this and the fact that people did not find out was a legitimate mistake.
“We wanted to share our plans for Laverstoke Court with residents and to reassure them that there is no link between having a centre and an increase in crime and disorder. We hope to still send out the leaflets because they contain a questionnaire which people can use and also we will look at holding another meeting if there is time before the planning meeting.”
G4S has been looking for a site in the East Midlands for some time to complement its two other centres in Birmingham and Wakefield. The planning application for Laverstoke Court states that 25 people would be employed on the site and that there would be self-catering kitchen facilities on each floor in each block.
On a day-to-day basis, the application says that residents will be asked to be in the building by 10pm, a daily register will be kept and staff, visitors and residents will have to sign in and out. Asylum seekers granted refugee status would then be dispersed elsewhere, which could be anywhere across the country.
A University of Derby spokesman said that the hall of residence at Laverstoke Court has been standing empty for some time, apart from housing some overseas students.
Derby councillors will be asked to consider the planning application but, beyond that, Derby City Council is not directly involved in the centre and is powerless to prevent it being set up if planning permission is given. The application is due to be considered at a future planning meeting.
Produced using material from Derby Telegraph
