THE mood was angry yet restrained as hundreds of residents congregated at Bexhill College to debate the controversial plans for an immigration centre at the former Northeye Prison site in Little Common.
Two things were clear from the off. Firstly the majority are firmly against the Government proposals for the site. Secondly, on a few occasions speakers demanded that Bexhill and Battle Conservative MP Huw Merriman must resign, accused of failing to stand up for his constituents over an issue which is causing bitter discord.
In fact, as each speaker took their turn with the microphone, the message was patently obvious, namely that Mr Merriman has scored a spectacular own goal by not attending any of the three previous meetings and also spurning this one despite being invited by the town council. In essence many want his head on a silver platter.
However, this was the chance for Bexhill residents to express their views in a formal setting rather than on an ad hoc basis and they grabbed the opportunity with considerable gusto.
In fact, prior to the meeting getting underway several people were turned away from the door once the venue had reached its capacity of 300 such was the eagerness to attend.
By 6.45 the place was rammed and every single available chair had been filled for Bexhill Town Council’s “extraordinary meeting”, staged to garner the public’s views, which will then be passed onto the Home Office and the Government. One imagines it will make for uncomfortable reading for those in power.
Opening the meeting, chairman Paul Plim said: “Like you, we have been given very little information but as a town council we will be passing your views onto the Home Office and our MP Huw Merriman.”
The initial question set the tone. “How many extra police will there be on the streets of Bexhill if the proposal becomes reality?” Good question, but no-one had the answer to that one.
Concerns were raised, as they have been at previous meetings, over the “vast number” of asylum seekers reputedly being young single males aged between 20 and 25 who will be, according to one speaker, “loitering around our streets with absolutely nothing to do.”
Another asked for a show of hands from those who disapproved of the plans and the majority of those in the audience duly did so, followed by a round of applause.
By this stage the crowd was becoming restless with many raising their hands in a bid to get their turn with the microphone.
“This is absolutely outrageous,” one said. “The site is simply not fit for purpose. We will keep fighting to stop it becoming a reality. This is not going to happen.”
Then the focus switched back to Mr Merriman, who was conspicuous by his absence despite a name tag having been prepared for him beforehand.
“Why isn’t he here,” a visibly angry attendee said. ”He was invited but no surprise, he is not here. He should remember that charity begins at home. We are becoming a minority in our own country.”
That led to a huge round of applause from those opposed to Northeye, with several sporting black and white T-shirts bearing the motif, “Say no to Northeye”.
In stark contrast, one young woman sporting a rather fetching orange hairstyle, stood up for the refugees only to be greeted initially by a chorus of boos when she said: “I am here to represent the Refugee Buddy project.
“We are trying to represent these poor people and to create a welcoming culture. We also don’t want this site but that is for humanitarian reasons. It is a former prison site.
“What this community needs to do is to work together and find the right solution. Bexhill is known for being a welcoming town.”
That clearly riled the next speaker, however. She said. “As it stands we cannot get an appointment with a GP or a dentist. If this gets the go-ahead maybe we would be better off staying at the camp. At least then we might be able to get an appointment.”
Then the unfortunate Mr Merriman found himself back in sharp focus. Another speaker added: “ Merriman needs to listen to his constituents, which he is clearly not doing.
“We are being bullied and he is an absolute disgrace. He hasn’t attended any of the meetings which have been held so far. He is a career politician and he doesn’t care one jot about us and we are the ones who will be casting our votes at the next General Election.
“We are all here to show the Government we will not go down without a fight. Those in power must be held accountable for their actions and that is what we intend to do.”
Matters then turned to the potential adverse affect on property prices should Northeye go ahead with one woman brandishing a recent valuation of her home in Little Common. She said: “My property has just been valued and it is shocking. It is now worth less than half of what it was.”
Mr Merriman was not out of the woods yet, though, as a man chipped in, adding: “I travel a lot and I worry about the safety of my wife and kids.
“I understand Mr Merriman lives in Burwash so let’s move the immigration centre to Burwash instead.”
As the meeting drew to a close there was a surreal moment when former councillor Sharon Blagrove was shot down in flames by an irate Mr Plim for “electioneering” and duly had her speech cut brutally short.
It was that sort of night really. Entertaining certainly with many views well put, but one imagines it has achieved precisely nothing in terms of moving towards a definitive solution.
Photos: Paul Gibson
