High Peak Borough Council and the University of Derby are in talks about turning the university's student halls in Buxton into a 'large-scale asylum dispersal centre'. It seems that despite months of discussion, plans were put in conveniently 5 days AFTER the local council elections, preventing councillors and council candidates from campaigning on the matter. A group opposing the application discovered that it was initially made and then withdrawn on April 3rd. One can only infer that the council decided to withdraw the application because local feeling against it might prejudice their being re-elected. Does this seem fair to you? Our group is investigating.

Due to its topography, everything in Buxton - shops, housing and schools - is very central, including two large secondary schools. This includes many historic buildings, parks and woodlands. Everything and everyone would be affected by this proposal.

Buxton relies heavily on the tourist trade, currently being a top local destination as a 'gateway to the Peak District'. It is very likely that any large-scale asylum centre will have an adverse affect on tourism and the trade associated with it - shops, businesses, cafes, guest houses and hotels.

• The UK is a top destination for economic migrants and has seen 45,000 people cross the Channel in boats to reach our shores over the last year.
• Net (including legal) migration figures have topped 600,000 this year. This is clearly unsustainable. We are a small island country with a large population.
• The British taxpayer is paying a whopping 10 million a day to house and feed asylum seekers.
• Every government of recent times gets in partly on its promise to massively reduce immigration - they have all failed miserably.

Immigration is a natural part of an open economy and society. The problem is that the current level of immigration into the UK is much too high. In the year to June 2022, there were 1.1 million visas granted to foreign nationals to come and live in the UK – by far the highest on record (and about equivalent to the population of Britain’s second largest city Birmingham). Meanwhile, the most recent ONS figures issued (for the year to June 2021) put the level of net immigration at 239,000 per year. The authorities have shown themselves unable or unwilling to ensure that our borders are protected and secure, with more than 100,000 people having entered the country via illegal means in just under five years. The level of immigration needs to be reduced and proper and effective control of the UK border must be restored.

We, the undersigned, are asking the High Peak Borough Council to consider the wishes of the majority of Buxton townsfolk and REJECT the unlawful proposal by the University of Derby to convert our student halls into the proposed HUGE asylum seeker 'dispersal' centre. It is not practical, not sensible, Buxton is not suitable and it must not go ahead. There has been no public consultation, no survey, no interaction with voters; and this is just not acceptable.

If you, like me, are unhappy that you have not been asked for your opinion on this urgent matter for Buxton, please SIGN and SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!