Residents in Walderslade, a peaceful suburb of Chatham in Kent, express deep concerns over plans to house asylum seekers in local bungalows and homes under a government dispersal initiative. The scheme aims to end the use of migrant hotels by 2029, shifting individuals into residential neighborhoods across the country.
Local Housing Plans Spark Alarm
Two properties in Walderslade stand out among approximately 37 sites earmarked in the Tonbridge and Malling borough for asylum seeker accommodation in the coming months. North London investors purchased these houses late last year and leased them long-term to Home Office contractor Clearsprings, which manages migrant housing.
One targeted bungalow sits on a quiet cul-de-sac, where families previously enjoyed a close-knit community. Neighbours worry that up to six single male asylum seekers will rotate through the property during processing, disrupting the safe environment.
Residents Voice Safety Fears
Jan Howard, a 74-year-old disabled widow and grandmother living a minute’s walk away, shares her anxiety. “I’ve got two teenage granddaughters that come round here at various times of the day and evening to visit me by themselves – and I know what some people have done,” she said. “I won’t feel safe them coming round any more.”
She highlights the street’s communal spirit, where residents look out for each other, including vulnerable neighbor Ernie, recently widowed. “Migrants shouldn’t be coming here,” Howard added. “We’re all worried about Ernie, the elderly man who lives right next door.”
Sara Ryder, 59, a carer with three grandchildren living nearby, fears playtime in the street will end. “We’re just so upset because we have grandchildren, and don’t know who’s going to turn up,” she stated. “The grandchildren have played in the street, but that’s not going to happen any more.”
Her friend Sue Birch, a carer with five grandchildren who has resided on the cul-de-sac for 22 years, questions the choice of location. “It’s generally only been owner-occupiers here,” she said. “There’s other more suitable places, in central Chatham for example, where there’s thousands of flats being built. What are they going to do here? They’re men, and I’m worried they’re going to hang around, check us out and make us feel uncomfortable.”
Glynis Coughlan, 68, who cares full-time for her 36-year-old disabled son Benjamin Fuller, chose the area for its safety. “When we moved in it was specifically because we felt the whole close was a safe environment,” she explained. “We’re worried about migrants arriving because we don’t know what type of person they are, and how they’re going to react to us. And because we’re expecting it to be all men, we feel really uncomfortable.”
Benjamin Fuller added from his mobility scooter, “It’s scary. I feel vulnerable. I get upset pretty easy, and depressed and anxious. And it’s very underhand the way this has been done, without consultation.”
Similar Incidents Raise Concerns
A parallel case in Laleham, Surrey, involved an Afghan asylum seeker arrested for loitering outside a primary school. He resided in a comparable House in Multiple Occupation, also acquired by a London businessman the previous year and managed similarly.
Contractor’s Role and Profits
Clearsprings, handling migrant housing across southern England and Wales, channels most profits to owner Graham King, a former teen-disco and caravan park entrepreneur. Earnings from asylum accommodations near £100 million annually position King to potentially become the sector’s first billionaire.
Government’s Dispersal Policy
The Home Office defends closing migrant hotels amid community protests, prioritizing sites like former barracks. However, officials declined to specify how many former hotel residents will move into domestic properties nationwide, following models like those in Tonbridge and Malling.
