York: Council to spend £275k on centre for teenage asylum seekers

The council said the plans were "common-sense"

A welcome centre for young people seeking asylum is to be created in York at a cost of £275,000.

The centre will offer supported residential care for four asylum seekers initially, but will have room for up to six.

The teenagers, aged either 16 or 17-years-old, will be housed in a property in the Fulford area.

The council said the centre, which is due to open in February, would prevent young people being sent further afield.

'Something positive'

Bob Webb, executive member for children at City of York Council, said: "This welcome centre approach is a common-sense approach, quite frankly.

"This is a caring approach that we're welcoming these young people into our city."

Mr Webb said housing the teenagers in the new centre would mean the council would not have to find placements or foster homes for them outside the area.

"That, quite frankly, costs us more and is worse for those young people," he said.

Mr Webb said the scheme was an opportunity for them to "do something positive for vulnerable people".

The Liberal Democrat opposition group leader Nigel Ayre said he was "happy to support the paper".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a second property to house teenage asylum seekers would be developed later in the year if approved at a meeting in February.