Proposed Change of Use - Stafford Court, Beaconside.

joshua

Well-Known Forumite
Serco is bringing forward a change of use planning application to repurpose the Stafford Court student accommodation buildings on Weston Road, Beaconside.
The proposals are for an Initial Accommodation Centre (IAC) and Dispersed Accommodation (DA) for asylum seekers.
The overall number of bed spaces in use at Stafford Court would be reduced from its current capacity of 556 to 482 bed spaces comprising the following mix:
* Initial Accommodation – 160 beds
* Dispersed Accommodation – 322 beds
There will be no external alterations to the current building or surrounding environment.
Serco are inviting comments on the proposals during a 10 day period of local engagement which will run until midnight on Monday 7th March 2022.
To view the plans and submit a comment visit https://staffordcourt.consultationonline.co.uk/
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
482 asylum seekers is a lot. There must be serious money to be made in people's misery :(
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
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Lucy

Well-Known Forumite
Yep, especially as some will be families and need actual houses. I just hope (and know I'll be wrong) that people welcome them with open arms. Oh but for the accident of birth...
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
Yep, especially as some will be families and need actual houses. I just hope (and know I'll be wrong) that people welcome them with open arms. Oh but for the accident of birth...
I'll never understand how asylum seekers get priority over the homeless who are already here. There are plenty of families already living in this country who are stuck in B&B accommodation and huge numbers of people living on the streets yet people who make the decision to transit through numerous safe affluent countries across Europe to get here and then claim asylum get priority housing? Madness.
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
Refugees. Ukrainians are these people too...
Yes I understand but this all predates the war in Ukraine. This is not for refugees, it says asylum seekers. There is a difference. Many many of these people will have their asylum claim turned down because in reality they are economic migrants. My point is why can we give Serco millions to house newly arrived migrants, whatever the reason they are here, but not find any money to house those already here that are homeless? The system is very broken.
 

littleme

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Yes I understand but this all predates the war in Ukraine. This is not for refugees, it says asylum seekers. There is a difference. Many many of these people will have their asylum claim turned down because in reality they are economic migrants. My point is why can we give Serco millions to house newly arrived migrants, whatever the reason they are here, but not find any money to house those already here that are homeless? The system is very broken.
It is asylum seekers not refugees, the info states that they will receive £5.00 per day, they won't be allowed to work or drive etc.... Very different from refugees.
 

Lucy

Well-Known Forumite
I'm pretty sure we call everyone in this country asylum seekers, irrespective of why they've put themselves through hell to get here, but it's an easy way to dehumanise them.

I think we'll all agree to disagree.
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
I'm pretty sure we call everyone in this country asylum seekers, irrespective of why they've put themselves through hell to get here, but it's an easy way to dehumanise them.

I think we'll all agree to disagree.
I think you are missing my point. Why can we house newly arrived people and pay Serco a fortune for doing so but not have any money to be able to help the homeless people already here who may be refugees, asylum seekers, economic migrants or any number of other labels? Humans who are already in the UK are homeless but newly arrived humans get housing, and the tax payer charged a fortune by a private company to provide it.
 
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Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I'm pretty sure we call everyone in this country asylum seekers, irrespective of why they've put themselves through hell to get here, but it's an easy way to dehumanise them.

I think we'll all agree to disagree.
I know someone who repeatedly describes the (mostly Romanian?) agricultural workers that she sees being bused in to do their shopping as "asylum seekers".
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
I know someone who repeatedly describes the (mostly Romanian?) agricultural workers that she sees being bused in to do their shopping as "asylum seekers".
They're not Assylum seekers, they're workers, Assylum seekers are not allowed to work.
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
It's a shit situation. We want to help people... But everyone was lead to believe it was hosting Chinese immigrants/learners... Slightly different to what's being proposed now.
 
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