In Sussex Weald, we are good people. We have always been welcoming to people who were in need of help and a temporary home. To name just a couple of the most recent examples, in 2022, we have led the way in providing support to Ukrainian families fleeing the war, welcoming the most arrivals to East Sussex. In 2024, we offered temporary accommodation for Afghans who provided support to Britain and were on the Taliban’s hit list. As your local MP, I was involved in both cases, making representations to Ministers, securing faster visas, and coordinating community support.
However, it is important that we stay true to who we are and that we challenge decisions that are not right for our communities and that do not work for us.
Like many Sussex Weald residents, I was furious to read from the media on Tuesday 28th October that this Labour Government's Home Office and Ministry of Defence have been in private conversations with the Green Party & Liberal Democrat Leadership at Wealden District Council to potentially use the Crowborough Training Camp to house asylum seekers in the near future.
Under the previous Conservative Government, the Crowborough site was rejected outright. This was due to its layout and the difficulty in it being adapted and the extra costs that would be involved. Furthermore, modifying the site would put it in conflict with the local Council’s Crowborough National Landscape and planning policy.
You will have seen that as soon as the story broke, I stood up for Crowborough and put pressure on the Home Office and the Wealden District Council to explain what plans are in process.
👉🏽 I also stepped in to convene two large community meetings, with over 500 residents attending to hear directly from Home Office officials.
👉🏽 The Home Office confirmed that the Wealden District Council, as the lead planning authority and recipient of money for every asylum seeker accommodated at Crowborough, has the power to legally challenge the decision before, during, and after asylum seekers arriving.
👉🏽 At my meeting on 10th November, as a result of the pressure from myself and the community, the Council’s leadership (Cllr Rachel Millward and Cllr James Partridge) changed their initial position of “nothing could be done” to “we will take legal action”. They now need to be true to their word and deliver what they promised to the community. There is no time to waste, and every Councillor now needs to be across the detail and standing up for Crowborough.
I will support the Council in taking legal action, but I do not support their position of working with the Home Office in housing asylum seekers at Crowborough Training Camp. I look forward to seeing evidence of what legal action and legal advice will be implemented.
✍🏽 My petition is still open. If you think Crowborough deserves better, please sign it here: https://www.nusghani.org.uk/NoAsylumHousing.
👇🏽 Below are all the latest updates on the campaign including my letters to Ministers, the Home Office and to the Council, and Written Parliamentary Questions👇🏽
Wednesday 19th November
Our most recent joint letter to the leadership of Wealden District Council sent alongside Mims Davies MP and Dr Kieran Mullan MP
Thursday 13th November
Update after Wealden District Council and Crowborough Town Council's public meeting
I attended the public meeting organised by Wealden District Council on Thursday 13th November. You can read some of my thoughts below or watch my youtube update here.
Nusrat Ghani said: "Tonight’s Town Council and WDC meeting with the Home Office was chaotic, and once again the Home Office are charging ahead as we continue to see zero leadership from Wealden District Council. On Monday, Cllr Rachel Millward and Cllr James Partridge said they would take legal action and tonight they were silent. Not a single piece of legal action has been raised. They are wasting our time as we wait for them to use their legal powers as the Planning Authority who will get money for every Asylum Seeker accommodated. Take a look at my letter to the WDC leadership, detailing the steps they can take here https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17HwoZ7vG7/?mibextid=wwXIfr."
Our joint letter to the leadership of Wealden District Council sent alongside Mims Davies MP and Dr Kieran Mullan MP
Monday 10th November
Public Meeting
Following pressure from myself and local residents, Wealden District Council leaders have confirmed they will take legal action against the Home Office's proposal to use Crowborough Training Camp to house asylum seekers.
I held two large community meetings on Monday 10th November, with over 500 residents attending to hear directly from Home Office officials and Wealden District Council. During the event, I forensically questioned the officials on several key issues regarding the safety, legality and compliance of using a site that was previously rejected. The Home Office confirmed that the Council, as the lead planning authority and recipient of money for every asylum seeker accommodated at Crowborough, has the power to legally challenge the decision before, during and after asylum seekers arriving. Officials also stated that the site can only open once it is deemed safe, legal, and compliant, but they could not provide evidence of how these criteria would be met.
At the meeting, I presented evidence showcasing how other Councils used their planning legal powers to challenge the Home Office. Present at the meeting was the leadership Cllr Rachel Millward and Cllr James Partridge, who were urged to use legal challenges to address the potential impact on planning, environment, healthcare and the Crowborough Cadets.
After mine and the community pressure, the Council’s leadership changed its initial position of "nothing could be done" to “we will take legal action” and promised to explore all legal options and to keep the community updated. I praised the residents for their calm engagement and affirmed that I will continue to work with the Council to support legal action, but not with the Council’s present chaotic position of supporting the Home Office in housing asylum seekers at Crowborough Training Camp.
After the meeting, Nusrat Ghani: “Crowborough residents did us proud, raising legitimate concerns over Wealden District Council’s and the Home Office’s lack of transparency of what is planned for Crowborough. Due to my persistent pressure, the Home Office attended their first public meeting, but left us asking more worrying questions, which should have been raised by Councillors at a much earlier stage. At the meeting, Cllr Tysh, Cllr Millward and Cllr Partridge said they couldn’t do anything. After I gave examples of other Councils taking legal action and after the Home Office confirmed that they could take legal action, the Cllrs then publicly changed their position to claiming that they now “will take legal action”. I look forward to seeing evidence of what legal action and legal advice will be implemented. There is no time to waste, and every Cllr now needs to be across the detail and standing up for Crowborough. I urge local residents to hold their Councillors’ feet to the fire to make sure they stay true to the promise they made to residents at my meeting on Monday.”
Wednesday 5th November
My second video update alongside Mims Davies MP
You can watch our video update on YouTube here.
My letter to Defence Minister, Luke Pollard MP
Tuesday 4th November
My letter to Home Office officials
Monday 3rd November
My letter to Home Office Minister, Alex Norris MP
Friday 31st October
My first video update
You can watch my first video update on YouTube here.
Wednesday 29th October
My letter to the Wealden District Council Leadership
Tuesday 28th October
My first statement once the news broke regarding the planned use for the camp
Like many Sussex Weald residents, I am furious to read from the media that this Labour Government's Home Office and Ministry of Defence have been in private conversations with the Green Party & Liberal Democrat Leadership at Wealden District Council to potentially use the Crowborough Training Camp to house asylum seekers in the near future.
I am yet to receive a formal notification that the news stories breaking this morning are accurate.
However, for the record, under the previous Conservative Government, the Crowborough site was rejected outright. This was due to its layout and the difficulty in it being adapted and the extra costs that would be involved. Furthermore, modifying the site would put it in conflict with the local Council’s Crowborough National Landscape and planning policy.
If the story is true and Crowborough is being assessed as a potential site, I will be seeking urgent answers form the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence and the Leadership at Wealden District Council to understand why they excluded Crowborough residents and locally elected representatives in their conversations to date.
Along with local residents, we need to understand what conversations took place with Wealden District Council and when, and if the story is true, what plans are in process.
I also read in the papers that some sort of consultation will be taking place. I will be seeking clarity on under what guise the consultation will take place and who will be leading it.
Having received a huge amount of correspondence on the matter from residents, I recognise the strength of the feeling locally and I will offer Sussex Weald residents an update as soon as I have it.
The Crowborough Training Camp has already been rejected as being wholly inappropriate.
If you think Crowborough deserves better, please sign my petition.
My letter to the Home Secretary
