Residents protest over asylum-seeker accommodation

Campaigners say the area and its properties are unsuitable for asylum seekers

Plans to turn a number of empty properties into homes each for use by up to five asylum seekers are being opposed in County Durham.

Campaigners say they worry the buildings are not fit for purpose as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and fear an effect on crime levels as well as a reduction in the number of homes available for residents.

Mears Group, which has been contracted by the government to provide the accommodation, said it had "paused" its plans for the unconfirmed number of properties and was looking at "other options".

Durham County Council said it would continue to work with its partners and residents' groups to ensure Peterlee was a "safe and welcoming place for everyone".

A protest has been held outside the authority's headquarters at County Hall, in Durham.

The campaign is being led by Peterlee town councillor Mary Cartwright, who said: "We're already supposed to be a town with high stats for violence, sexual assault, burglaries and arson.

"All the residents here feel that it's just going to get worse."

Peterlee councillor Mary Cartwright suggests the accommodation scheme would have an impact on crime levels

Ms Cartwright also raised concerns for the people who would be moving into the properties.

"These people who have been suffering from war-torn countries are going to be living in box sizes of four metres, sharing a bathroom, with four to five people in a house.

"That can’t be good for them. It can’t be good for anyone's mental health."

Cora Hall, who lives near one of the recently developed properties, said there had been four months of "hammering, knocking and banging".

She said she had lived in the area since 1976 and was "terrified" at the thought of new tenants moving in.

"I've been told they're going to be five male asylum seekers and we don't know if they've been vetted, who they are or anything," she said.

Matt Tough is another Peterlee resident who has been campaigning

Another resident, Matt Tough, said he was worried about how the new tenants themselves would be protected.

"How can the police ensure the safety, not only of the residents, but of these prospective tenants whom we understand to be vulnerable and coming from potentially horrific circumstances to begin with?

"The creation of HMOs is not keeping in line with the housing strategy for the area which assured cheap, affordable family housing.

"This isn't cheap, affordable family housing. It's making it a lot harder for that to ever be a reality."

Mary Frankland, from Stockton, on Teesside, has volunteered to help refugees and asylum seekers for 17 years and provided accommodation in her own home.

She believes there are huge rewards if people are "supported and given encouragement".

"Once you’ve got to know people are human beings, as you and I, then there is a lot of good," she said.

"People have escaped from some terrible, terrible situations, that inevitably will have an effect on the mental health of somebody and I can understand somebody getting concerned about that."

Mary Frankland, from Stockton, has volunteered with asylum seekers for 17 years

Mears said County Durham was a "dispersal area for asylum accommodation" and it was required to find places for both families and single people.

"We are, however, aware of concerns about specific accommodation sites we were considering using in Peterlee and can confirm that we have paused those plans and are looking at other options,” it added.

Durham County Council said it would "ensure the landlord fulfils the conditions of the licence and takes the necessary actions to rectify any breaches" such as safety issues or anti-social behaviour.

The Home Office said it "continually reviews" the appropriateness of asylum accommodation sites and was trying to "reduce the unacceptable use of hotels which cost £8.2m a day”.