Wyre Council addresses rumours about asylum seekers being housed in Cleveleys seafront nursing home

Asylum seekers will not be housed at a seafront nursing home, say Wyre Council.

The local authority has dismissed rumours circulating on local Facebook groups this week claiming the former Morvern Care Centre on Cleveleys Promenade is to accommodate those seeking asylum in the UK.

The care home has been vacant since 2020 when the fire service issued a prohibition notice, forcing it to close immediately due to inadequate fire safety measures.

Around 40 residents were moved from Morvern into other care facilities and the owner of the care home, Sinclair Ventures Ltd, later revealed plans for the building to be turned into a block of 29 self-contained residential apartments. The plans were approved by Wyre Council in early 2022.

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But this week, former Fleetwood councillor Colette Fairbanks - who has previously represented UKIP, the Brexit Party and Wyre Alliance - claimed on a local Facebook page that the nursing home will be used to house asylum seekers.

It generated a discussion among residents with many questioning whether the arrangement would be appropriate for a site on the town’s seafront.

Wyre Council has since confirmed to the Gazette that it is not aware of any plans to house asylum seekers at the former nursing home.

A spokesperson for Wyre Council said: “We can confirm that Wyre Council does not have any knowledge of the proposals for the former Morvern Care Centre.”

The UK Home Office was approached for comment.