Epping Forest district councillors have welcomed the news that Clearsprings Ready Homes and the Home Office have withdrawn their proposal to procure asylum-seeker accommodation in Buckhurst Hill.
On 24 November 2025, Epping Forest District Council revealed that government contractor Clearsprings intended to acquire 8 flats in Buckhurst Hill. The council strongly opposed the proposal and published an open letter to the Prime Minister and senior government ministers, citing serious community concerns.
Listened, seen sense and taken the right decision
This is excellent news for our community and residents can breathe a sigh of relief. I wrote with a sense of disbelief when Clearsprings notified us of their intention to procure 8 flats in Buckhurst Hill to accommodate asylum seekers.
We’re already hosting 2 Home Office asylum-seeker hotels in the district. The impact of events over the last 6 months has been deeply felt across our district and has created significant challenges for community cohesion and public safety. Residents have experienced fear and uncertainty, and the strain on local resources has been considerable.
This withdrawal shows that Clearsprings and the Home Office have listened to us, seen sense, and taken the right decision. We hope they show similar good sense with regards to the Bell Hotel and move to an early closure.
Councillor Chris Whitbread, Leader of Council
Keep up to date
Keep in touch with our latest news, service updates and reports.