University drops Cottingham halls of residence asylum plan

The Lawns was built in the 1960s and is Grade II* listed

A university has said it will not sell its former student accommodation to the government to house asylum seekers.

The plans for The Lawns site in Cottingham near Hull were met with opposition from some residents and the local Conservative MP David Davis.

The University of Hull's Vice Chancellor Prof Dave Petley said the decision not to sell was "based on the concerns which have been raised".

The Home Office confirmed it would not "procure the Lawns for accommodation".

Protest meetings were held in the East Yorkshire village and Mr Davis said the accommodation plan would mount "unsustainable and unacceptable pressure" on the area, which already houses asylum seekers in another former university building.

In a statement, Prof Petley said the university would not sell The Lawns or the nearby Ferens Hall to "the Home Office or any other buyers who advise that they intend to use the site for accommodation for the Home Office".

'Crucial that we listen to local people'

"We have listened closely to the feedback from the community and, following constructive conversations with members of the community, regional MPs, the police, the NHS, local authorities and other key stakeholders, we have taken this decision based on the concerns which have been raised," he said.

"At its heart, the university is committed to playing a positive role in the community and it is crucial that we listen and respond to the needs of local people. While the university still intends to sell the property, we will continue to engage with key stakeholders in the region to determine a financially viable alternative for The Lawns and Ferens Hall that reflects the communities' priorities."

Mr Davis described the university's decision as "good news".

In a Twitter post he said: "It was understandable for the University to try to fill a financial hole but I am glad after I, and other MPs, first spoke with the Vice Chancellor in late November, they have agreed these sites will not be used to house asylum seekers."

Haltemprice and Howden MP David Davis said the university's decision was "good news"

The Lawns is a Grade II*-listed 40-acre site built in the 1960s. It has been empty since 2019 when students moved into new purpose-built accommodation closer to the university's campus.

The Home Office said it worked with local stakeholders to "ensure adequate plans are in place for any new accommodation for asylum seekers".

"The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels due to the unacceptable rise in small boat arrivals and our commitment to accommodate those from Afghanistan," a spokesperson said.

"Every day the hotel bill for accommodating more than 45,500 asylum seekers and over 9,200 Afghans is £6.8 million, and the British public rightly expect that we reduce these costs as quickly as possible. We continue to look at all available options to source appropriate and cost-effective temporary accommodation."