Residents of a sleepy village where asylum seekers have been put in new £270,000 town houses complete with en-suite bathrooms, electric vehicle charging points and underfloor heating were say the decision has divided the community in two.
Somewhat bemused to find themselves at the centre of an international immigration furore where even Elon Musk has ridiculed Keir Starmer’s migration policy, they say the decision to house legal migrants in four brand-new houses in Suffolk has brought simmering tensions to the surface.
Some are pleased to welcome families – none of whom arrived in Britain illegally – into their midst.
But others complain that the disparity between handing out rent-free, eco-friendly properties to foreigners, while young Britons languish on the council house waiting lists, is beyond the pale.
When locals first saw that four new houses were being built on a brownfield site near the railway line, many thought they would eventually be bought by young families.
But two things about the three-storey houses made them less than ideal for starter homes.
Firstly, they face directly onto the London-Norwich main rail line, with four trains shooting past at more than 100mph each day.
Secondly, they were priced well beyond the reach of first-time buyers at £350,000. A year later, all unsold, the houses were discounted to £270,000 and leased by Serco on behalf of the Home Office.
Some locals were suspicious that the houses might have been purpose-built for asylum seekers in the first place.
Christopher Keseru, 66, told the Daily Mail: ‘I can’t help wondering if this was the plan all along – those houses were over-priced at the beginning and stood empty for a year.
‘Now they’ve been leased by Serco for however many years, and at the end of it, no doubt they’ll be refurbished at the taxpayer’s expense. It just isn’t fair.’
He added: ‘I’m not a racist or anti-immigration in any way. My own father came to Britain in the 50s to escape the Soviet invasion of Hungary.
‘He settled into our British way of life, respecting our laws and culture, working hard, paying taxes and buying his own house. Nothing was handed to him free of charge on a plate
‘What has annoyed people about this case is that no-one was informed about it, and the unfairness of handing out houses rent-free to people from abroad when our own young people cannot afford to buy houses in this village.
‘I also think it’s a bad place to put anyone who doesn’t have a car – it’s in the middle of nowhere but right next door to a high-speed rail line.’
The conjoined properties are furnished with en-suite bathrooms, sleek kitchens and state-of-the-art amenities including underfloor heating and electric vehicle charging points.
According to promotional materials, the homes are ‘nestled in the tranquil and sought-after village’ and ‘designed for modern living and comfort, providing ample space and eco-friendly amenities’.
Representing ‘a perfect blend of modern design, comfort, and sustainability’ the houses are said to offer ‘a serene living experience’.
The sales brochure concludes: ‘With their eco-friendly features and thoughtful amenities, these properties are an ideal choice for those looking to embrace a green lifestyle in a peaceful, community-oriented location.’
Asylum seekers living in the properties are doing so rent-free – with expected rent in the area coming in at around £1,200 for a home of this size.
It is believed that only one family has moved into the townhouses so far.
Another local, who didn’t wish to be named, said: ‘We were only told about this after the event – that’s hardly consultation.’
Local Green Party councillor Rowland Warboys addressed the local parish council on the matter, and said a ‘consensus’ had been reached, but admitted that Serco only told the local authority after at least one family had arrived.
‘I understand the argument about unfairness, but this house was never a council house, so wouldn’t have been one of the properties available to local people on the waiting list. I wish our pockets were as deep as the Home Office.’
Another woman resident said that placing the families in a place as remote was also unfair on the families.
‘This is a place with only one bus each day to and from,’ she said. ‘If you haven’t got a car, you’re stranded here.
‘I’ve met one of the families and they are very nice and I’m sure people will help them with shopping trips etc, but they shouldn’t have to rely on local charity.’
Gardener Clive Bloomfield, 62 who has lived there all his life, said: ‘It’s all just happened without us knowing about it. Our opinions don’t seem to count.
‘There’s people working hard to try to get on the property ladder and they’re not considered.’
Wife Susan, 64, added: ‘We’re paying for all of this. Why are we working hard for asylum seekers to just get everything for free?’ Mum of two and customer adviser Laura Garland, 40, agreed the move had caused uproar.
She said: ‘There are people born in this country that pay taxes who can’t get housing.
‘Then you get these families who are put straight into brand new three-bedroom houses. The worst thing is none of us knew. We’ve been kept in the dark.’
Ricky Morgan, 68, who moved from Walthamstow, North East London, a year ago, attacked the Government for ‘giving migrants everything for free’.
But former British Museum entomylogist Ray Aldridge, 74, who retired to the village 13 years ago, said: ‘I personally have no problem with it. They have to live somewhere, don’t they?
‘They’re doing no-one any harm and I’m quite happy to see that we take in people if they have a deserving case.’
Other villagers were too upset to discuss the case.
A Serco spokesperson said: ‘Once the Home Office made the decision that asylum seekers should be accommodated in Suffolk, Serco had discussions with the local authority (LA) about which postcodes would be suitable in their area.
‘Once a postcode was agreed by the LA, Serco then sought the appropriate accommodation required.’
