Council of sanctuary plan could be scrapped

A final decision on the plans will be made in September

Plans to make Weston-super-Mare a "council of sanctuary" for migrants could be scrapped.

Tensions around pursuing the status became clear during a heated meeting in March, when councillors voted in favour despite objections from some residents.

City of Sanctuary UK said the status would allow access to a network of councils who share good practice and training.

But Weston Town Council's finance and general purposes committee has now recommended not to proceed, after a cross-party group said the work, cost and time of the move would "outweigh any potential benefit".

A final decision is expected at a town council meeting in September.

City of Sanctuary UK works with more than 100 councils with different levels of responsibility.

Membership, which for a town council costs £150 every three years, leads to councils being given advice and support. The aim is to make services more accessible to asylum seekers and refugees.

Maggie Filipova-Rivers, local authority network lead at City of Sanctuary, said services included advice about language classes, improving access to playing fields or making people aware of events.

"The faster people become self-sufficient and self-reliant, that's good for everyone," she said, adding that the initiative can save councils money.

Plans to become a council of sanctuary have divided the town

But when the council of sanctuary proposal was put forward by Liberal Democrat councillor Caroline Reynolds in March, at times the meeting descended into shouting between opposing groups.

One local resident, Martin Slade, said he was concerned about the lack of publicly-available information, claiming the decision "could irrevocably change the landscape of our community".

Asylum seekers do not get to choose where they live once they come to the UK, and are placed by the Home Office.

Alison Bancroft, from The Other Place community centre in Weston-super-Mare, said the atmosphere around the proposal demonstrated the "urgent need" for a conversation that brings communities together.

'Deeply divided response'

An online survey set up by Weston Town Council to get feedback on the plan revealed concerns about crime, housing shortages and access to GP services, with 339 residents against the proposal, compared to 92 in favour.

In the first week of August a petition calling for the scheme to be scrapped, signed by 950 people, was handed into the council.

A counter-petition, organised by the Weston Trades Council, launched on 15 August.

"Community feedback reveals a deeply divided response," said a report by town council officers.

Labour councillor James Clayton was among those who examined the feedback.

"As a town we're not in a place to adopt this," he concluded.

The council's finance and general purposes committee agreed the move should be stopped, calling on the council "to further pursue harmony between people... without becoming part of the Council of Sanctuary".