Freedom of Information Requests

Please see below the questions and responses to by Freedom of Information Requests to Wealden District Council and the Home Office (sorted from newest)

Submitted on 11 June 2026 to the Home Office

Compliant Reference Response to MIN/1495453/26

Thank you for your letter of the 2nd June 2026 in response to my letter of 16 April 2026.

I had to smile when receiving it due to the pure irony of you taking nearly 7 weeks to respond to a letter enquiring about your delays in responding to urgent correspondence!

Checking whether a letter or Freedom of Information Act request has been replied to should be a relatively simple and easy task in an era of digital correspondence tracking systems. If it would help, I am happy for my own correspondence manager to talk your Private Office through how to set such a system up. This would ensure you avoid the type of embarrassment you face when taking so long to deal with basic queries from MPs. Let me know if you would like to take this up.

More widely, what steps will you be taking to deal with such poor performance in dealing with Parliamentary Correspondence?

Have you set a clear target for when such improvements will be implemented?

I hope I don’t have to wait until August for a reply.

Submitted on 9 June 2026 to the Home Office

Complaint Reference Response to FOI2026/06132

I write to complain about and ask for a review of the response supplied by the Home Office to the above Freedom of Information Act request.

I also enclose a further, refined, Freedom of Information Act request in this letter.

The two parts of my complaint are:

The inappropriate citing of Section 12(1) relating to cost.
The failure to advise of a way the Freedom of Information Act request could be refined as required under Section 16.

Failure to Advise of how the request could be refined:

The following paragraph was included in the response:

“It is difficult for us to suggest how you could narrow your request. However, if you wish to submit a revised request, we would be happy to consider it. I should also point out that if you submit a revised request, it is possible that other exemptions in the Act might apply.”

This struck me as a “cut and paste” response, rather than confirmation consideration had been given to whether my FOI request could be refined.

Whilst the response to FOI2026/06132 does not include a suggestion for refining the FOI, the following information request under the Freedom of Information Act could have been suggested as a refined request:

Minutes and Agendas of Meetings - Copies of the minutes and agenda for each meeting of the MAF in relating to Crowborough Training Camp held since 1st October 2025.
The minutes and agenda for any related sub-groups of the MAF.

Cost Exemption

Citing the exemption under section 12(1) of the FOIA in terms of the time and cost to recover the information concerned does not appear well founded.

Would it really take over 24 hours of staff time to recover records of a meeting the Home Office is involved with, plus details of engagement with one District Council about a single issue?

This reasoning would suggest a level of disorganisation in how basic engagement is handled and recorded. This is especially odd given the importance of Wealden District Council’s role as the local planning authority, which Home Office Legal Advisors would be aware of.

Home Office comments to Wealden District Council are likely to be cited in any decision on planning or planning enforcement action. The Home Office itself would also be wishing to have record of any comments from Wealden District Council which might indicate pre-determination of any future application. It would therefore seem inevitable an easy to access record would be kept?

If not, this raises serious questions about basic competence and handling of information.

Further Freedom of Information Act Request:

Whilst the response to FOI2026/06132 does not include a suggestion for refining the FOI, I would like to submit the following (refined) information request under the Freedom of Information Act:

1. Minutes and Agendas of Meetings o Copies of the minutes and agenda for each meeting of the MAF in relating to Crowborough Training Camp held since 1st October 2025.

2. The minutes and agenda for any related sub-groups of the MAF.

If any part of this request is unclear or would exceed the cost limit, please advise me as required under Section 16 of the Act so I may refine it.

Submitted on 2 June 2026 to Housing, Communities & Local Government

I am specifically requesting the following information:

The number of such meetings and the dates they were held.
Any agendas for these meeting.
Whether Planning issues relating to the Crowborough Training camp were discussed at them.

Holding response:

Dear Nusrat Ghani,

Thank you for your Information Request of 2 June 2026 requesting:

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request information relating to any meetings between the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Ministers in his Department and Home Office Ministers relating to the identification of large sites for asylum accommodation, specifically in Crowborough.

I am specifically requesting the following information:

1. The number of such meetings and the dates they were held.
2. Any agendas for these meeting.
3. Whether Planning issues relating to the Crowborough Training camp were discussed at them.

We will aim to send you a response by 1st July 2026.

If you have any questions, please ask by return email. Please leave the subject line unchanged when replying, to make sure your email gets straight to us.

Yours sincerely,

MHCLG FOIA Team

Submitted on 21 May 2026 to Wealden District Council

Reference FOI 25-26-1019.

Thank you for the response to my recent Freedom of Information Act request (FOI 25-26-1019.), but I wished to challenge the decision to apply the Section 41 exemption to the entirety of the meeting notes concerned.

I appreciate some items of the Multi-Agency Forum's (MAF) agenda may see specific details shared which cannot be published, eg Security details, yet a redaction of any such elements could accomplish this better than simply a blanket refusal to share any of the details.

The refusal to share even redacted notes also contrasts with information from the MAF being shared in the public setting of a Full Council meeting held on 18th February 2026. During that meeting Cllr Partridge, as Leader of the Council, shared several items of information such as the number of asylum seekers being housed at Crowborough Training Camp. If this information can be shared in public forum by Wealden District Council, why not in response to a Freedom of Information Act request?

Holding response:

Submitted on 6 May 2026 to the Home Office

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the work of the South East Strategic Partnership for Migration (SESPM), which is hosted by South East Councils. Specifically, I am looking for information in relation to the Multi-Agency Forum convened by the SESPM relating to the use of Crowborough Training Camp by the Home Office as asylum accommodation. This follows correspondence from the Minister for Border Security and Asylum suggesting requests for records of these meetings should be directed to the SESPM.
I would therefore like to request the following information:

Minutes and Agendas of MeetingsCopies of the minutes and agenda for each meeting of the MAF in relating to Crowborough Training Camp held since 1st October 2025.
1. The minutes and agenda for any related sub-groups of the MAF.
Engagement with the Home Office and Wealden District Council
1. Minutes or summaries of meetings between SESPM, Wealden District Council and\or the Home Office since 1st October 2025, held with the intention of discussing Crowborough Training Camp being used as asylum accommodation.
  If any part of this request is unclear or would exceed the cost limit, please advise me as required under Section 16 of the Act so I may refine it.

Response in full:

Submitted on 1 May to Home Office

Reference Response to MIN/1484417

Crowborough Training Camp - MIN/1484417/26

Thank you for your letter of 29 April 2026 in response to my letter of 23 March 2026.

I noted your comments about directing requests for minutes of the Multi-Agency Forum and related Sub Groups to the South East Strategic Migration Partnership. A Freedom of Information Act request has now been submitted to them.

You also say you are “working to” a vacation date of 22 January 2027 in terms of Crowborough Training Camp. Could you please be clearer about whether you are, as the responsible Minister, committing to a vacation date of 22 January 2027?

Having seen the experience with other sites, I am conscious precision is important in language used as you might later say you had previously been “working to” something but had not committed to it.

Response in full:

Submitted on 30 April to South East Councils

Dear FOI Officer,

Freedom of Information Request – South East Strategic Partnership for Migration
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the work of the South East Strategic Partnership for Migration (SESPM), which is hosted by South East Councils.
Specifically, I am looking for information in relation to the Multi-Agency Forum convened by the SESPM relating to the use of Crowborough Training Camp by the Home Office as asylum accommodation. This follows correspondence from the Minister for Border Security and Asylum suggesting requests for records of these meetings should be directed to the SESPM.
I would therefore like to request the following information:
1. Minutes and Agendas of Meetings
o Copies of the minutes and agenda for each meeting of the MAF in relating to Crowborough Training Camp held since 1st October 2025.
o The minutes and agenda for any related sub-groups of the MAF.
2. Engagement with the Home Office and Wealden District Council
o Minutes or summaries of meetings between SESPM, Wealden District Council and\or the Home Office since 1st October 2025, held with the intention of discussing Crowborough Training Camp being used as asylum accommodation.
If any part of this request is unclear or would exceed the cost limit, please advise me as required under Section 16 of the Act so I may refine it.
I would be grateful if the information could be supplied electronically.
Yours faithfully,

Response in full:

Submitted on 30 April to Wealden District Council

Reference Response to FOI 25-26-924

I write to ask for a review of the response to the above Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

For reference my original request was:
I would like to request a copy of correspondence from\to and minutes of any meetings held with the Home Office\ Ministry of Defence by Wealden District Council (Including Members of the Council Executive and the Council Leadership) in relation to the use of Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation (September 2025-February 2026).
In response I was pointed to a public website where Wealden District Council’s position on the Crowborough Training Camp is set out. By doing this the Council claimed the information is therefore exempt from disclosure under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Yet on checking the web page referred to again today whilst there is correspondence listed, there appear to be no minutes of meetings with the Home Office listed despite the response given. Is it planned to publish these? If so when?

I am aware from a previous FOI request that Cllrs James Partridge and Rachel Millward met the relevant Home Office Minister on 25 November 2025 and 13 January 2026. I had hoped the reply meant the minutes or notes of these meetings would now be published.

I would therefore request this response is reviewed.

Response in full:

Submitted on 28 April 2026 to the Home Office

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information in relation to funding provided by the Home Office to Wealden District Council in relation to the Funding Instruction for Local Authorities: Asylum Grant.

I would specifically like information relating to:

1. Any asylum grant income provided in financial year 2025/26 to Wealden District Council

2. What asylum grant income for financial year 2026/27 the Home Office expects to pay Wealden District Council by 30th June 2026.

For reference I am basing the final question on the following document published by the Home Office:

Funding Instruction for Local Authorities: Asylum grant

Response in full:

Submitted on 28 April 2026 to the Home Office

I noted the response to my previous FOI (Your Reference FOI 2026/03728) which suggested it would breach the appropriate limit to respond to this.

This response came as a surprise given the controversy surrounding the use of Crowborough Training Camp as asylum accommodation, plus the ongoing legal challenges, I would have thought the Home Office would keep to hand details records of its dealings with the local Council.

This said I noted the suggestion a narrower request be submitted, which may be under the appropriate limit cited.

Therefore, under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information relating to any meetings the Home Office has held with Cllrs James Partridge and Cllr Rachel Millward of Wealden District Council (Or any meeting where either was present) relating to the Crowborough Training Camp since October 1st2025.

I would specifically request details of:

1. The dates, times and locations of such meetings.

2. Who attended these meetings from the Home Office, including Government Ministers.

3. What notes were kept of the meetings concerned.

4. Any notes drawn up in preparation for the meetings.

Response in full:

Submitted on 28 April 2026 to Wealden District Council

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information in relation to funding provided to Wealden District Council by the Home Office in relation to the Funding Instruction for Local Authorities: Asylum Grant.

I would specifically like information relating to:

1. Any asylum grant income received in financial year 2025/26 by Wealden District Council

2. What asylum grant income relating to financial year 2026/27 is Wealden District Council expecting to receive by 30th June 2026.

3. Any forecast relating to asylum grant income for the financial year 2026/27 being used by Wealden District Council for budget planning purposes

For reference I am basing the final two questions on the following document published by the Home Office:

Funding Instruction for Local Authorities: Asylum grant

Response in full:

Submitted on 28 April 2026 to Wealden District Council by Mims Davies MP (East Grinstead & Uckfield)

I write to ask for a review of the response to the above Freedom of Information request.

For reference my original request was:

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request information as to any written correspondence between officers and the leadership of Wealden District Council about the use of the council’s planning enforcement powers to prevent or injunct Crowborough Training Camp from being used as Asylum Accommodation by the Home Office. I am specifically requesting information as to any policy discussion, including on email, between the Council’s Executive and with officers, rather than the content of any legal advice

In response I was pointed to a public website where Wealden District Council’s position on the Crowborough Training Camp is set out. By doing this the Council claimed the information is therefore exempt from disclosure under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Yet this missed the actual request being made.

My request was for information relating to correspondence between the parties listed and the discussion of this position, rather than just the outcome.

I would suggest pointing to statements on a website does not confirm and give details of such correspondence or state such correspondence does not exist. The later point I would find hard to believe given the importance of this issue for our community it is hard to imagine at least some emails will not have been sent between Councillors and Council Officers on this subject.

Submitted on 23 April 2026 to the Home Office

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request information relating to an assessment made by the Home Office of the suitability of the Crowborough Training Camp for use as Asylum Accommodation.

I am specifically requesting a copy of the Equalities Impact Assessment produced in relation to the Home Office using Crowborough Training Camp for this purpose.

Holding response:

Submitted on 16 April 2026 to Home Office

Dear Minister Norris,

Following several letters and Freedom of Information Requests (FOIs) that I have sent to you, I note that there are some that I have not yet received a response to.

I have listed below under separate headings the letters and the FOIs that are outstanding, for your reference.

Letters

1. Letter sent on 23rd March 2026 to follow up on a response we received from yourself on the 17th March 2026 (ref. MIN/1469133/26)

2. First of two letters sent on 25th March 2026 to follow up on a response we received from yourself on 23rd March 2026 (ref. MIN/1471849/26)

3. Second of two letters sent on 25th March 2026 to follow up on a response we received from yourself on the 23rd March (ref. MIN/1453633/26)

FOIs

1. First of seven FOIs sent on 12th February 2026 requesting a copy of the decision for Planning Permission as a Crown Development to be granted in relation to using Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation.

2. Second of seven FOIs sent on 12th February 2026 requesting a copy of the completed application form for planning permission as “Crown Development” in relation to using Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation.

3. Third of seven FOIs sent on 12th February 2026 requesting a copy of any Equalities Impact Assessment produced by the Home Office in relation to the use of Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation.

4. Fourth of seven FOIs sent on 12th February 2026 requesting a copy of any Assessment produced by the Home Office in relation to whether, if granted planning permission, the Biodiversity Gain Condition (as set out in Paragraph 13 of Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) would apply to the use of Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation.

5. Fifth of seven FOIs sent on 12th February 2026 requesting a copy of any Environmental Impact Assessment produced by the Home Office in relation to the use of Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation.

6. Sixth of seven FOIs sent on 12th February 2026 requesting a copy of the justifications used\produced by the Home Office in relation to the use of Class Q Exemptions for Planning Permission in relation to using Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation.

7. Seventh of seven FOIs sent on 12th February 2026 requesting a copy of any Community Impact Assessment produced by the Home Office in relation to the use of Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation.

8. FOI sent on the 25th March 2026 requesting information relating to assessments made by the Home Office of the suitability of the Crowborough Training Camp for use as Asylum Accommodation, specifically requesting the following information:

A copy of the Health and Safety confirmation issued in relation to the sites use as asylum accommodation.
The QHSE inspection reports and outcomes, including any documents where these are contained within.
Reviews of environment, health, and security risks.

I would be grateful if I could receive responses in full to all of the letters and FOIs that I have outlined above.

Yours sincerely,

Response in full:

Submitted on 15 April 2026 to Wealden District Council

This is being sent as a follow up to the response given by Wealden District Council to a previous Freedom of Information Act request (FOI 25-26-1021) made by Mims Davies MP. Please see a copy attached for your reference.

I was surprised to read the claim no record is kept of officer time spent working on projects, however there must at least have been some estimate made of what Wealden District Council officer time would be involved prior to committing to it?

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would therefore like to request the following information in relating to Wealden District Council’s project relating to the centenary of A.A Milne’s creation “Winnie the Pooh.”

A copy of or details of the estimate made by Wealden District Council of the amount of additional external funding it could leverage via spending £500,000 on the “Big One Hundred” Project to mark the centenary of Winnie the Pooh?
What council resources, including staff time, it was estimated would be needed to deliver the project? This to include time on oversight and audit of spending.
How many council officers and at which salary grades, would be involved with delivery of the project and over what period? For clarity, I do not require the personal details, eg names, of the council officers\employees concerned. I am content for them to be listed solely by job title and pay grade.

Response in full:

Submitted on 25 March 2026 to the Home Office

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request information relating to assessments made by the Home Office of the suitability of the Crowborough Training Camp for use as Asylum Accommodation.

I am specifically requesting the following information:

A copy of the Health and Safety confirmation issued in relation to the sites use as asylum accommodation.
The QHSE inspection reports and outcomes, including any documents where these are contained within.
Reviews of environment, health, and security risks.

Response in full:

Submitted on 25 March 2026 to Wealden District Council

I am specifically requesting the following information:

A copy of the Health and Safety confirmation issued in relation to the sites use as asylum accommodation.
The QHSE inspection reports and outcomes, including any documents where these are contained within.
Reviews of environment, health, and security risks.

Response in full:

Submitted on 25 March 2026 to Wealden District Council by Mims Davies MP (East Grinstead & Uckfield)

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information relating to expenditure by Wealden District Council on the centenary (100th Birthday) of “Winnie the Pooh” a fictional character created by A. A. Milne:
i)    Any budgeted expenditure on schemes or projects which include or are aimed at marking this event.
ii)    An estimate of how much council officer time has been spent working on projects or proposals which include marking this event.
iii)    The estimated cost of council officer time spent working on projects or proposals which include marking this event.

Response in full:

Submitted on 12 March 2026 to Wealden District Council by Dr Kieran Mullan MP (Bexhill & Battle)

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information in relation to expenditure by Wealden District Council in relation to Crowborough Training Camp being used by the Home Office for asylum seekers. I would specifically like information relating to any expenditure or budgeted expenditure on Leisure, recreation or entertainment provision for anyone resident at Crowborough Training Camp. Costs of engaging external legal counsel/advice and budgeted expenditure on this. Costs associated with the planning process. Spending of or budgeting to spend any money provided by either the Home Office directly or via Clearsprings Ready Homes to Wealden District Council in relation to the use of Crowborough Training Camp as asylum accommodation.

Response in full:

Submitted on 12 March 2026 to the Home Office

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information relating to meetings between the Home Office, Clearsprings Ready Homes and Wealden District Council relating to the Crowborough Training Camp:

The dates, times and locations of such meetings.
Who attended these meetings, including any Elected Members of Wealden District Council, Government Ministers or Members of Parliament.
What notes were kept of the meetings concerned.
Any notes drawn up in preparation for the meetings.

Response in full:

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request details of any sums paid to Wealden District Council by the Home Office or by any third party on the Home Office’s behalf, in connection with the use of Crowborough Training Camp as accommodation for asylum seekers?

Response in full:

Submitted on 12 March 2026 to Wealden District Council

Response in full:

Submitted on 12 March 2026 to Wealden District Council

The dates, times and locations of such
meetings.
Who attended these meetings, including any Elected Members of Wealden District Council, Government Ministers or Members of Parliament.
What notes were kept of the meetings concerned.
Any notes drawn up in preparation for the meetings.

Response in full:

Submitted on 10 March 2026 to Wealden District Council

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request details of any expenditure by Wealden District on provision for those accommodated by the Home Office at Crowborough Training Camp. This information to include any indirect spending, such as budget provision for allowing use of council facilities or services.

Response in full:

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request details of any meetings between Councillors James Partridge and Rachel Millward with any members of parliament since October 2025. This is to include dates and which MP attended.

Response in full:

Submitted on 25 February 2026 to Wealden District Council by Mims Davies MP (East Grinstead & Uckfield)

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request information as to any assessment made by Wealden District Council of the possible environmental impact about the use of Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation by the Home Office. I am specifically requesting information on any assessment performed by Wealden District Council in relation to the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 and the use of Crowborough Training Camp as asylum accommodation.

Response in full:

Response in full:

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request information as to when Wealden District Council first sought legal advice about the use of Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation by the Home Office to Wealden District Council. I am specifically requesting information as to on what date Wealden District Council requested the advice be sought.

Response in full:

Submitted on 25 February 2026 to Wealden District Council

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request information as to when the Home Office first gave notice about the use of Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation to Wealden District Council.
I am specifically requesting information as to what form it was given, with which officers and Councillors was it shared and the response (if any) given to it by Wealden District Council.

Response in full:

Submitted on 17 February 2026 to the Home Office by Dr Kieran Mullan MP (Bexhill & Battle)

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request a copy of any Environmental Impact Assessment in relation to the use of Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation.

Response in full:

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request a copy of any Assessment in relation to whether, if granted planning permission, the Biodiversity Gain Condition (as set out in Paragraph 13 of Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) would apply to the use of Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation.

Response in full:

Submitted on 12 February 2026 to the Home Office

Under the Freedom of Information Act I would like to request a copy of the decision for Planning Permission as a Crown Development to be granted in relation to using Crowborough Training Camp as Asylum Accommodation.