Government “informs” Harlow Council that Redstone House in town centre “could be used to house asylum seekers”
News / Mon 6th Oct 2025 at 03:01pm
HARLOW Council’s Leader, Cllr Dan Swords, has today declared to fight the Government with “everything the council has” to stop them using Redstone House in the town centre for Asylum Seekers.
The Government has written to the council to say that they intend to move asylum seekers into Redstone House, now called Endeavour House, from November claims council leader Dan Swords.
The Leader of Council has come out fighting issuing a statement and video today declaring to “protect the town” and “work night and day to fight this”.
Cllr Dan Swords said: “Today we’ve received a letter from representatives of the Home Office informing us that the Government intends to use Redstone House – right in the middle of the town centre – to accommodate asylum seekers.
“Let me be absolutely clear: we will do everything in our power to stop this.
“We will fight it with everything we have – because it is wrong for Harlow, wrong for our town centre, and wrong for our community.
“Redstone House was recently shut down because it was unsafe. The tenants who were placed in there by London boroughs were rightly moved back to those London Boroughs.
“And now, the Government wants to bring that same building back into use to house asylum seekers – in the heart of our town centre, an area we are working tirelessly to rebuild, to regenerate, and to make a place we can all be proud of.
“That would be a disaster for Harlow. It would undermine years of hard work, investment, and planning to bring our town centre back to life.
“We have fought to secure hundreds of millions of pounds to transform Harlow – to build new homes, new shops, new public spaces, and create a town centre that people want to live, work, and spend time in.
“Redstone House being a dumping ground for asylum seekers would undo all of that.
“We believe in Harlow homes for Harlow people. We believe in standing up for our town.
“We have come too far and worked too hard to see the future of our town centre put at risk by a short-sighted and unsafe decision. We will not just roll over for the Government.
“We will stand up for Harlow and work night and day to fight this every step of the way.”
Sally Head
2025-10-06 15:30:41
Tell the government to go whistle it's our town for our people
jarrett
2025-10-06 15:34:05
As if centres are not dying already with out of town shops and online shopping, and good luck fighting it Mr Swords.
Chris Vince (joker)
2025-10-06 15:37:53
Well Harlow you voted for Labour, reap what you sow, Kier Starmer wants to repay you back for helping him become prime minister.
Tim smith
2025-10-06 15:40:59
Town won't be worth going to with all the protests that will probably happen, at least the police won't have far to walk it being a few metres away from the police station
Ted
2025-10-06 15:48:28
I bet you hear sod all from Chris Vince . Come on Chris grow a backbone and fight for our town.
John
2025-10-06 15:49:04
This cannot be allowed to happen. If police thought that demonstrations in Epping were bad. I hate to think what will happen in our the town centre. Come on Mr Swords let's see what Harlow Council can do to stop this. Our M.P. Chris Vince should also be supporting our council.
Ted
2025-10-06 15:51:28
This is the Bell Hotel all over again. Putting asylum seekers right next to a main route into the Harvey Centre.
Austin
2025-10-06 16:00:35
Chris Vince could always resign from the Labour Party and be an independent, let’s see who is more important to him his constituents or Labour with Kier Starmer.
Seamus
2025-10-06 16:04:44
As soon as it was sold in November, I said in here that's what they were going to do as the landlord wants the most return on their money. That's why I was suprised when last week, Dan said not in my town. The foreign office advises for Brits NOT to go to the Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea as it's far to dangerous. Instead they are allowing young undocumented men of fighting age and with no proveable history to come to Harlow. Will we now see a rise in sexual attacks on young women and girls in Harlow too? Don't expect anything from our mp, he'll do as he's told rather than represent his constituents. Just as I thought everything was calming down, this Labour government goes and stokes the fires once more
nogin the nog
2025-10-06 16:13:41
what a nightmare chris vince has got to get behind Harlow council
Darren
2025-10-06 16:24:59
And Labour wants protests to be limited!! They really could not organise a p up in a brewery. At least I can hold my head up high and tell people I never voted for the bunch of clowns this time around. Now I never will.
Tim
2025-10-06 16:27:52
This is a joke. Kick out the residents due to fire safety concerns, in reality maybe the owners knew this and let the fire brigade do the dirty work of “closing” it. All of a sudden all now OK, rents go up and a nice government contract ! This stinks and as usual I suspect is all about money !
Joe
2025-10-06 16:41:13
Harlow already has the highest crime rate in Essex. Good job there are no night clubs in town anymore. Drunk, vulnerable women and girls walking round in the small hours.
Deb bee
2025-10-06 16:56:15
I walked by this a couple of days ago and there were mattresses in the reception area. Looks like they've already started the process. Shows the contempt this government and home office have for local residents. The residents who were kicked out should band together and make a legal challenge against this blatant money grab by the owners of the building
Friday Smith
2025-10-06 17:55:55
I wonder what local businesses think about this. The Conservatives buried themselves across 16 years, Labour are going to do that over 1 term. 2 dead and buried parties whatever you might think of Reform do not vote for either of these jokers again.
Kim Oconnor
2025-10-06 18:22:24
The government are not solving the problems by doing this. Labour says they want them out of hotel s ,where they going to put them. There just moving the problem to somewhere else that's all. I'm glad I never voted for them, I.can smell rats from miles away. Dan your right it would be disastrous.
Concerned citizen
2025-10-06 18:35:38
100s of students per day walking back and fourth passed Red Stone House. Filled with undocumented males of a certain age with nothing to lose, so will be on the prowl , who's going to protect them and all the good people of Harlow from these people. I bet there not living on Kier Starmers road. Kier Starmers slogan for the labour party should be called promises and lies.
Mark Gregory
2025-10-06 18:37:37
Can someone please explain how these asylum seekers can afford the £1500 a month rent
Robert white
2025-10-06 19:05:05
That town is normally full of students and school children... it will be a disaster... the town will die....
J
2025-10-06 19:11:28
Apparently they are already in there
T
2025-10-06 21:19:46
Buy the building yo stop this from happening
Mr George
2025-10-06 21:29:29
Well, this will be interesting to watch. See if Dan is as good as his word, or if Chris listens to the people in Harlow.
Mr George
2025-10-06 21:30:50
Kim, did you vote tory last time round? Just wondering.
T
2025-10-06 22:19:07
The government give Harlow council all this money to do up Harlow and then send a letter to say the asylum seekers are coming to town what a joke
Tim smith
2025-10-06 22:36:23
The owners will make a lot more money having asylum seekers in than people paying rent and the worst thing about it is that it's taxpayers money paying their rent
Arthur
2025-10-07 05:23:49
Good morning all. Work hard and pay your taxes! Enjoy your day and watch this space!
Nicholas Taylor
2025-10-07 06:37:38
It is worth reminding readers that the previous Conservative Government proposed to put asylum seekers in the flat block at Wych Elm when it was about to be occupied. The intervention of the then Conservative MP Robert Halfon resulted in the withdrawal of the proposal which led of course to a lot of kudos at a time when the MP's standing with the public was at a low. So just when he needs it most, maybe historty will repeat itself and Chris Vince will be able to claim that he stopped asylum seekers from taking up occupation. Other than that, the proposal shows just how out of touch with the public the government has become and is not fit for purpose having ignored the demonstrations at Epping and proposing to put applicants in the middle of a town centre.
Sean
2025-10-07 07:39:51
Silence from our Labour MP is deafening
AB
2025-10-07 07:52:42
The profoundly ill-informed are preparing their Temu flag-capes, and sharpening their pitchforks.
Guy Flegman
2025-10-07 08:23:10
I suppose our MP is waiting for the Labour hierarchy to write a statement for him about how he fully supports the government and stand up for his constituents at the same time. I look forward to the upcoming word salad.
Roy Adams
2025-10-07 08:25:27
Instead of the Labour government dumping illegal migrants in Harlow they should be housed in Keir Starmer's, Rachel Reeves and Ed Milliband's constituencies.
Rye
2025-10-07 08:49:41
Well done to dan for fighting back , if this goes through I will be one of many protesting outside redstone every night till it's shut down. I'm not waiting to hear a child has been abused by a foreign barbaric backwards thinking " doctor or engineer "
Jean
2025-10-07 09:09:39
Everyone has rights but ours have been taken from us. We had the rights to live in a safe environment, to walk freely in our town and country, to be proud of where we live, to work and save and more but this is all rapidly being taken away. We need to keep our values and respect before that is taken away. Protests should be peaceful not violent and disruptive but at the end of the day we've lost our say. We're expected to shut up and put up.
ScottH
2025-10-07 09:16:59
Let's not forget how we all got here....years of Conservative government made Britain a favourite destination for economic migrants. For Conservative Cllr Swords to now effectively claim "its not of us" is a bit rich! The Conservatives laid the groundwork opening hotels, HMOs etc all over the country, Labour are continuing it. The decision on Redstone Hse is appalling but it all comes down to the two rotten old parties having put us right here.
Seamus
2025-10-07 09:58:28
Feel free to offer one or more, a room at your home AB.
Brian
2025-10-07 10:43:47
What a Farce! I’m sick of People calling them Asylum Seekers, when the vast Majority are Male, they are Illegal Migrants from God knows Where. Instead of spending years talking about dealing with Problem. Leave the ECHR and make English Rules to safeguard our people. Good Luck to Dan Swords I hope you win this Fight for all our sakes.
Jennifer
2025-10-07 10:55:14
This is disgusting. Crime will increase, protests will happen, shops will suffer. This town isn’t the nice Harlow it once was. So sad to see it going the way it is. This cannot be allowed to happen!
Ajd
2025-10-07 13:38:20
How many local females think about where the safest place is to walk home even during daylight..I know I have.. Our government are allowing men in who have very little to no respect for women more so western ones..
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