Outcry in Gosport over Haslar plans as residents are ‘prisoners in our own homes’

Residents living near Haslar Immigration Removal Centre say they have become “prisoners in their own homes” amid controversial plans to expand the site.

The Home Office is proposing to increase the centre’s capacity to 600 detainees, placing hundreds of men just yards from neighbouring homes in Gosport.

Speaking at Gosport Borough Council’s regulatory board on Tuesday, July 29, resident Graham Phillips said the impact was already being felt, claiming he is now unable to sell his property.

He told councillors: “I am now a prisoner in my own home as I cannot sell.”

Mr Phillips said residents felt ignored throughout the process, adding: “We feel that our voices have not been heard. At no point has the health and wellbeing of local people been taken into consideration.”

He said that the scale of the proposal was “extremely worrying”, questioning why such a high number of detainees had been chosen.

He also pointed to a lack of buyers for nearby homes, which he said was not solely due to the wider market but uncertainty surrounding the site.

“It is a disgrace how we have been treated,” he added. “We seem to be invisible to the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the government.”

Councillors acknowledged the strength of local feeling, and the board unanimously agreed to submit the council’s concerns as part of the planning consultation.

Under Crown Development rules, the application will be determined by the Secretary of State rather than the council, although the local authority is being consulted as part of the process.

Phase one of the scheme is already underway and will create around 130 bed spaces through refurbished accommodation, with further expansion expected to take capacity up to 600 beds, which the Home Office says are “urgently needed”.

Council leader Cllr Zoe Huggins said residents’ views would be reflected in the authority’s response.

She told residents, who packed out the public gallery, that “your voices are really important,” adding that she and the Conservative group would also be making their own submissions.

Cllr Lesley Meenaghan, Conservative for Leesland and Town, said the council’s report identified “a lot of concerns” that would be raised with the Home Office, praising officers for outlining why the scheme is “not the right fit for Gosport”.

Cllr Kirsten Bradley, Lee East Independent, added that many of the concerns raised by residents were shared by councillors.

Although Gosport Borough Council has been consulted, the final decision on the expansion rests with the Home Office.

Meanwhile, Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage said she is continuing to press ministers for answers, having raised the issue in Parliament and written to the Home Secretary after a promised meeting with a minister was cancelled.

Residents now have until August 6 to submit their views to a Home Office consultation on the plan.

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