A SENIOR councillor wasn’t allowed to speak against a proposal that Powys County Council take part in a UK Government pilot scheme to house asylum seekers.
At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Liberal Democrat/Labour cabinet, on Tuesday, June 10, members received a report on whether or not the council should show interest in taking part in the Home Office Asylum Dispersal Pilot scheme.
Powys council’s Reform UK group leader Cllr Iain McIntosh said: “I’ve been refused the opportunity to speak at today’s meeting to raise strong concerns about this proposal, particularly on behalf of local residents in my ward — many of whom remain on the housing waiting list while services in rural areas are already under strain.”
A council spokesman explained that there is “no provision” under the council constitution that allows leaders of opposition groups to speak at cabinet meetings on any item they wish to.
The council spokesman said: “The role of the chair of a meeting is to ensure the business of the day is conducted in line with the council’s constitution.
“Section nine of the Home Office Asylum Dispersal Pilot report states that here are no community specific implications for particular wards arising from this report.
“Therefore, the business of today’s cabinet meeting was transacted in line with the council’s constitution.”
Earlier today at the meeting Cllr Dorrance explained that the council would express an interest in taking part in the scheme along with neighbouring council’s Carmarthenshire and Monmouthshire.
Cllr Dorrance said: “Currently the existing UK Government offering Clearsprings ready homes, procures accommodation within the authority for people seeking asylum.
“We don’t have any control over that process; it does not include us in the sourcing of accommodation for asylum seeker and that will continue.”
“Bringing a new scheme forward and collaborating with other authorities in the rural sector will give us greater control over the council accommodation that is used.”
Cllr Dorrance explained that this would include the “location and the support structure” put around the asylum seekers that are brought into Powys.
Cllr Dorrance said: “This scheme will enable the local authority to access UK Home Office funding that will provide us with capital resources for additional homes.
“What this proposal will enable us to do is add to the social housing stock.
“Because at the end of the 10 year period the homes we build using this external home office money will then become housing stock available to be used through the housing register.
He assured his colleagues that this would have no impact on those people already on the housing waiting list.
Former council leader and now cabinet member for a more prosperous Powys, Cllr James Gibson-Watt (Liberal Democrat) welcomed the proposal.
Cllr Gibson-Watt said: “It’s very important that this is about asylum not immigration, people who come to this country fleeing very dreadful situations.”
He stressed that the UK under various treaties and conventions have an obligation to accommodate asylum seekers and process their claims in a “fair way.”
“I’m very enthusiastic that the council should participate in this,” said Cllr Gibson-Watt.
The cabinet voted unanimously to express their interest in being part of the scheme.
