Issue - meetings

The Leader of the Council introduced the item and advised that the issue would be decided by him rather than the Cabinet Member for Housing and Health as Kent Leaders would also send a response. The Leader stated that the decision no longer needed to be treated as urgent as the deadline for response to the consultation had been extended until 9 January 2024.

The Leader outlined that the Council did not have the capacity to accept more immigration as there were already between 700 to 900 people on the housing register and nearly 300 in temporary or emergency accommodation. There was also very little to no capacity in schools or for GPs. This could not be easily resolved by investing funds as it took years to build housing or train medical staff.

Questions were raised around housing capacity and the committee debated the need to help Maidstone residents and the needs of asylum seekers and those in desperate situations. Concerns were raised that this consultation was being used to further the agenda of national government and that the Council should not provide figures.

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND to the LEADER of the COUNCIL: That a blank response to the consultation be approved so as not to be drawn into the national government’s politics on this issue.

Note: Councillor Hastie arrived at 6.43 p.m. during consideration of this item.