Village uproar over plans for 400 refugees

PLANS to house up to 00 asylum seekers in a tiny Welsh village were criticised as ‘wholly unsuitable’ last night.

The proposals would see around 150 ‘predominantly male’ refugees put up in a disused country house hotel, in the village of Northop Hall, north Wales. Another 250 would be housed in ‘modular accommodation’ in its grounds.

Those living in the village, which has just 1,500 residents, claim the asylum seekers would almost double the adult population overnight and local services would not cope.

Referring to the protests outside a hotel in Knowsley, Merseyside, last month, local Tory MP Rob Roberts urged villagers to remain calm. He said he had already voiced his ‘deep concerns’ to immigration minister Robert Jenrick and would do all he could to stop a planning application by owner Payman Holdings 3 Ltd.

He said: ‘There are virtually no public transport services. One small shop. One pub. No capacity in schools. No capacity in GPs... no capacity in local A&E.’

Payman Holdings 3 has launched a public consultation ahead of a planning application to Flintshire Council.