Almost 2,000 sign petitions opposing East Sussex asylum seeker centre plans as 9th protest held

The No to Northeye campaign held the protest on Saturday (July 22), which was its ninth, since the plans by the Home Office were first unveiled.

Almost 2,000 have also signed online petitions opposing the proposals, which involve turning Northeye, a former prison and training centre in Bexhill, into a centre to house up to 1,200 asylum seekers.

The site is one of several to be chosen in the UK by the Government.

Nigel Jacklin, ward councillor for Bexhill St Marks and founder of the No to Northeye campaign, said the group’s next challenge is to persuade Rother District Council to oppose the plans.

He said: “With this in mind we have started collecting signatures for a new petition which we plan to hand in to Rother in advance of the full council meeting on July 31.

“These will be handed in alongside more than 1,500 signatures to an earlier online petition. We just need Rother to do the right thing for residents and say no to the camp. So far the group has collected more than 300 signatures on two Saturday events in Bexhill.

“The vast majority of locals are on our side, they do not want the camp and are very pleased some of us are standing up and visibly saying no.”

A legal bid against the Home Office’s proposals was launched by Rother District Council on June 9. The authority said it has asked the Court of Appeal to consider the plans for Northeye, alongside an appeal made by Braintree District Council.

On July 14 the High Court granted permission for Braintree District Council to challenge the decision to use RAF Wethersfield to house migrants.

The plans for Northeye were first unveiled at the end of March this year and since then several gatherings by concerned residents from the area have been held, as well as several protests.

The town council also held a public meeting where residents aired their concerns over the proposals.

A protest was held on May 20 where around 200 people took part in the demonstration. The event saw angry residents holding up placards and marching through Bexhill.

The next No to Northeye protest is scheduled for Saturday, August 12.