A retired couple's dream home was rejected due to overcrowding in the countryside, despite migrants moving into a camp just next door.
Phillip and Christine Straker, from Crowborough in East Sussex, have seen their aspirations for a new family home blocked by local planning authorities.
The grandparents had proposed demolishing an existing stable and wood store on their property to construct a four-bedroom eco-friendly dwelling.
However, Wealden District Council turned down the application.
They determined that the development would damage the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape and alter its character.
Officials argued that the increased residential use of the site would negatively impact the nearby Ashdown Forest, which holds Special Protection Area status for its countryside.
Just two fields away from the Strakers' land, the Home Office has accommodated hundreds of asylum seekers at Crowborough Training Camp, bypassing standard planning procedures entirely.
The department avoided the usual approval process by designating the former military facility as emergency accommodation.
A retired couple's dream home was rejected due to overcrowding in the countryside, despite migrants moving into a camp just next door
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The site previously served as a transit location for army training exercises and cadet activities.
It now forms part of Labour's strategy to close asylum hotels across the country.
Asylum seekers began arriving at the camp on January 22, with the first small boat migrants transferred to the facility during nighttime hours.
Phillip Straker, 69, expressed frustration over what he perceives as a glaring contradiction in the planning system.
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Just two fields away from the Strakers' land, the Home Office has accommodated hundreds of asylum seekers at Crowborough Training Camp
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He told the Sun: "Their response is absolutely ironic. What impact are we going to make compared to 500 people in the camp?"
The couple lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate on January 21, just one day before migrants began arriving at the nearby facility.
An independent planning inspector subsequently dismissed their challenge, ruling that the asylum seeker accommodation was temporary in nature and "functionally distinct from permanent dwellings."
The inspector further concluded that the Strakers' proposal conflicted with Wealden's Local Plan, which requires developments to conserve or enhance the area's natural beauty and character.
The arrival of asylum seekers has provoked significant opposition from the local community
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Crowborough Training Camp currently houses 350 single men, though it has a capacity of 540.
The arrival of asylum seekers has provoked significant opposition from the local community, with residents staging demonstrations on a weekly basis.
When asked about the Strakers' rejected application, Wealden District Council maintained its position.
The council said: "We refused this application because it was for a permanent new dwelling in open countryside."
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