The Home Office has scrapped controversial plans to use Wates House in Fareham for asylum seeker housing.
Fareham Borough Council was informed that the government would not be proceeding with the proposal to procure the apartment block.
The decision comes after months of opposition from various parties including the council, police and local Conservative MP Suella Braverman.
The council said it had been working "quietly in the background through the correct channels" to achieve this outcome.
Suella Braverman expressed delight at the decision
PASuella Braverman, MP for Fareham and Waterlooville, expressed delight at the decision.
She said: "I am delighted that the Home Office has listened to me and local people and that Wates House will no longer be used for illegal immigrants. Thank you to over 1,000 local people who signed my petition."
The former Home Secretary had previously criticised the plans as "entirely inappropriate", claiming they would "place pressure on local services and potentially pose a public safety risk".
In February, Braverman launched a petition calling on the Conservative-controlled Fareham Borough Council to purchase the 27-flat block instead of the government.
Her petition gained support from over 1,000 local residents who opposed the plans to house asylum seekers at the site.
She had written to the Home Secretary urging that housing asylum seekers at Wates House would be "inappropriate, unsafe and wrong".
Opposition to the proposal stemmed from multiple concerns raised by local authorities and the MP.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The luxury £7million development in Fareham was planned to house asylum seekers
GB NewsThese included potential effects on community safety, cohesion, and increased pressures on local services.
Braverman specifically highlighted concerns about antisocial behaviour and claimed the building's fire safety provisions were "wholly inadequate".
She described this as an issue of the "gravest concern" and stated she did not want anyone being subject to that risk.
Fareham Borough Council welcomed the Home Office's decision to withdraw interest in the site.
Councillor Simon Martin, Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, said: "I am delighted that the Home Office has listened to the Council's advice and now withdrawn its interest in this site."
The council stated it was "pleased to draw a line under this matter" following the announcement.
Local authorities had spent months working through official channels to oppose the government's plans for the apartment block.
Braverman specifically highlighted concerns about antisocial behaviour and claimed the building's fire safety provisions were "wholly inadequate"
PAThe controversy had previously sparked public demonstrations against the plans.
Around a month ago, approximately 50 people gathered for a protest on a footbridge outside the flats, with a handful of police officers in attendance.
Demonstrators displayed banners with messages including "say no to illegal immigrants at Wates House" and "men don't flee war, there is no war in France".
The protest highlighted the strength of local opposition to the government's proposal.
Despite the Home Office's decision, Braverman indicated this wouldn't be the end of the matter.
In her statement, she criticised the current Labour government, saying they "scrapped the Rwanda deterrent on day one of taking power, has overseen a record level of illegal crossings and has no plans to stop the boats."
She continues to urge Fareham Borough Council to lease Wates House for local residents, suggesting it's "the perfect time for them to step in for residents on the housing waiting list".
