Frustration as local residents battle to get on property ladder as asylum seekers put up in £300k townhouses

The four privately owned properties will be used as rent-free accommodations for migrant families whilst their applications are being processed. The townhouses are believed to have a rental value of £1,200 per month.

Members of the village community where the properties are located were frustrated to have been "left in the dark” on the decision.

Clive Bloomfield, a local gardener and lifelong resident, said it felt like locals’ opinions "don’t seem to count".

"There’s people working hard to try to get on the property ladder and they’re not considered," said 62-year-old Mr Bloomfield.

Read more: Government to hit back over migration anger as anti-asylum protests continue across Britain

Read more: UK secures £10 billion deal with Norway to build 'world-leading' British warships

Another resident, mum-of-two Laura Garland, expressed frustration at the situation.

"There are people born in this country that pay taxes who can’t get housing," said Ms Garland. "Then you get these families who are put straight into brand new three-bedroom houses.

"The worst thing is - none of us knew."

Despite the backlash, some locals were supportive of the decision, stating that people should be allowed to come to the UK if they need to. One local counsellor claimed the community had responded "very positively" to the use of the townhouses.

According to promotional materials, the houses are described as set in the "tranquil and sought-after village", and are "designed for modern living and comfort".

The houses have been leased to the public service company Serco, working on behalf of the Home Office, to house migrants seeking asylum in the UK.

At least one migrant family is believed to have moved in so far, according to original reports in the Sun.

It is understood the migrants arrived by a legal route, and made asylum applications following their visa expiration.

The decision follows recent controversy facing the Labour government over its manifesto pledge to close all asylum hotels by 2029.

Last week, the Home Office successfully overturned an injunction that ordered the removal of migrants from The Bell Hotel in Epping in the Court of Appeal.

Leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, said the decision showed illegal migrants now have more rights than Britons under Sir Keir Starmer, with MPs and local councillors also reacting furiously to the news.

By July of this year, around 106,000 people in the UK were in receipt of asylum support - over 32,000 of these residing in hotels. The remainder were put up in other accommodation including private dwellings.