Following confirmation that the government plans to move asylum seekers into Redstone House (now called Endeavour House) in the middle of Harlow town centre, the Leader of Harlow Council, Councillor Dan Swords, has written to the Home Secretary to formally and fiercely oppose the plan.
In his letter to The Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP, Home Secretary, Councillor Swords makes clear that the council will “do everything in our power to stop this”, describing the proposal as “wrong for Harlow, wrong for our town centre, and wrong for our community.”
Councillor Swords said:
“Redstone House was shut down because it was unsafe. The tenants who were placed there by London boroughs were rightly moved back to those boroughs. Now the government wants to bring that same unsafe building back into use - right in the heart of our town centre - to house asylum seekers. That is reckless, irresponsible, and a betrayal of our community.”
The Council Leader warned that such a move would be a “disaster for Harlow, undermining years of hard work, investment, and planning to rebuild and regenerate the town centre”.
“We have fought to secure hundreds of millions of pounds to transform Harlow - to build new homes, new shops, and new public spaces. Turning Redstone House into asylum accommodation would undo all of that progress and show a staggering disregard for the people of Harlow,” said Councillor Swords.
He continued:
“We believe in Harlow homes for Harlow people. We believe in standing up for our town. We have come too far and worked too hard to see the future of our town centre put at risk by such a short-sighted, unsafe, and irresponsible decision.
“The Home Office’s approach is not only wrong - it is dangerous. It risks provoking serious and destabilising unrest. Harlow is a compassionate town, but compassion must be matched with competence and common sense, not exploited.”
Councillor Swords has demanded an urgent meeting with the Home Secretary to discuss the proposal and its implications for Harlow, warning that the council will “oppose the plan politically, legally, and publicly”.
He added:
“We fight every day to make Harlow safer and stronger for our residents. If the government goes ahead with this plan, it will directly undermine that safety - putting our children, our families, and our community at risk. That is not something I, or this council, will ever accept.
“I’m asking the people of Harlow to back me to fight the government on this. We will not stand by while our town is treated as a dumping ground for failed policy.”