Plans to house 83 asylum seekers in newly built homes valued at approximately £250,000 each in Stoke Heath, Shropshire, have been cancelled following intervention by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. The decision came after public concern emerged over the use of a recently developed village estate for asylum accommodation without prior consultation.

The 21 properties, managed by contractor Serco, were set to accommodate asylum seekers, but the move sparked opposition among local residents. Conservative MP Mark Pritchard informed a crowd of more than 100 people at a public meeting that the government had reversed the plan. He stated that no further asylum seekers would be placed in the estate and that those already housed there have been relocated.

Residents expressed relief at the decision. Tonia Roberts, a local resident, said she hoped the homes would be converted into social housing, emphasizing that the area lacked the necessary infrastructure to support asylum seekers. “It’s not an appropriate place to have asylum seekers. There’s nothing there,” she remarked.

The Home Office issued a statement asserting that new housing developments should not be used for asylum accommodations, signaling a shift in policy toward maintaining the integrity of such properties for long-term community use. Meanwhile, Labour has announced a goal to phase out the use of asylum hotels by 2029, indicating ongoing political debate over how best to handle asylum seeker housing.

Officials are now searching for alternative accommodation options for asylum seekers, aiming to balance community concerns with government obligations to provide shelter for individuals seeking refuge in the United Kingdom.