Earlier this week, I co-signed letters alongside the Leader of Folkestone and Hythe District Council David Monk and Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins to both Chris Philp Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Home Secretary Priti Patel demanding answers on the Government decision to open a migrant site at Napier Barracks at Shorncliffe.

Each year, Folkestone and Hythe District Councillors get £3,000 of grant funding that they can use to support organisations, activities and projects that benefit the area.

One of the events that Gary Fuller and I backed with grant funding in 2019-20 was the Folkestone Channel Triathlon, which we were delighted to see go ahead.

You may also have heard very recently that the Home Office contacted the District Council last Thursday afternoon (10th September) to explain they had plans, previously never mentioned or discussed, to house a migrant processing centre at Napier Barracks.

I am incredulous that they can have failed to consult, or even notify of plans to open such a centre, and yet are planning on doing so on Monday 21st September.

At an online extraordinary meeting of Folkestone and Hythe Council on 16th September, the Council considered the adoption of the Local Plan.

The motion passed 17 for, 12 against and 1 abstention.

Although this is an important document to the Council, and a tool to limit uncontrolled development in the area, I was not able to support it, and neither did my colleague Gary Fuller. Essentially as part of the plan a number of sites are indentified and listed as suitable for development under certain criteria. One of those listed was Princes Parade, and on that site, and some others, we have a fundamental opposition to the development of the site. I voted against the Plan at Cabinet, and I did so again at Full Council.

Chris Philp MP

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,

Home Office, 2 Marsham Street,

London SW1P 4DF

14th September, 2020

Dear Minister

We are writing to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the manner in which Folkestone & Hythe District Council appears to have been disregarded in any decision-making to house asylum seekers at the Napier Barracks in Folkestone. To add insult to injury we have now been advised that the decision has been made and no-one has had the courtesy to advise the council and its members.