Stafford council will not fight plan for asylum seeker housing

Serco sought planning permission to convert the former Staffordshire University halls of residence

Stafford Borough Council says it will not seek a judicial review to prevent former university halls of residence becoming housing for asylum seekers.

A planning inspector ruled in June the site in Weston Road, Stafford, could be used despite the borough council previously refusing permission.

Theo Clarke, MP for Stafford, urged the council to push for a judicial review.

But the local authority says legal advice it sought states "no reasonable prospects" of a successful application.

The site will be run by Serco, which manages this housing for the Home Office, and will provide temporary accommodation for 480 people while their asylum claims are being processed.

The government has said it will also put additional funding into local services in Stafford, including healthcare.

'Foolish to ignore'

Serco's proposals include creating 170 rooms for urgent stays of up to four weeks and 310 rooms for more extended periods at the former Staffordshire University halls of residence in Beaconside.

The council's decision to not grant permission was appealed by Serco and overturned after a four-day public inquiry.

But the local authority said it had instructed an independent legal expert to see if there was a realistic chance of successfully challenging the judgement of the government-appointed planning inspector.

Conservative MP Theo Clarke wanted Stafford Borough Council to continue to oppose the plans

The response the council received stated any application "would not get through the permission stage".

"The advice from experienced legal counsel is categorical and clear - there are no reasonable prospects of a judicial review being successful," council leader Aidan Godfrey said.

"I know this may not be the news some people want to hear, but it would be foolish to ignore the advice and spend potentially tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money on a legal challenge that will fail."

The council would now be prioritising the local community and liaising with Serco to remain fully briefed on its plans, he said.

"We must now lobby the Home Office and central government for the necessary levels of funding and resources that will be required to make sure we can look after our residents and those people who will be here on a temporary basis - and it was good to see our local MP is supportive of that approach too," he added.