Ghani: “I was right all along on Government’s plans for asylum camp in Crowborough"
I have condemned the latest announcement made by the Home Office about their future plans for Crowborough Training Camp.
The Home Office has confirmed it intends to use the Urgent Crown Development procedure to apply for permission. This will see the Home Office applying for permission directly to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government instead of the normal route to secure planning permission.
Initially, the government stated the camp would only be used to house asylum seekers for 12 months. However, on 25 June 2026, Home Office Ministers confirmed they intended to retain the site until at least 2030.
I would like to reiterate that I was right all along not to trust the Home Office and fight them from the start. I will continue to stand by the residents of Crowborough as they suffer the consequences of the Labour Government’s takeover of the much used and loved local armed forces training camp.
I have been consistent, forensic and honest all along, predicting that the Home Office was not being clear with us about their long-term plans for Crowborough. This planning application from Home Office Ministers will now be decided by another Government Minister. The government is, in effect, marking their own homework.
It makes a mockery of any suggestion this process will be independent. It also demonstrates their desire to avoid any local scrutiny on the matter. The Home Office continues to ignore local concerns about the long-term impact on the town, leaving some households unable to sell-up because of the uncertainty.
This move exposes how naïve it was of Wealden District Council’s Green - Lib Dem Coalition to willingly accept Home Office assurances they would only be there for 12 months. Instead of taking robust action against the Home Office, they actively made efforts to play down the effects of the government’s decision, placing political ideology first, and criticising those challenging the Home Office in the courts. Wealden Council’s leadership needs to step up and publicly engage with local residents and represent the majority of the residents in the town.
Crowborough is a wonderful community, but the actions of the Home Office has cast a shadow over the town. Local residents and businesses just want to be able to get on with their lives instead of dealing with outsider intrusions. I will do all I can to stop this planning application and urge Wealden District Council to work with me and the local community in supporting local residents and fighting the Home Office.
