Gosport councillors unanimously oppose future small boat landings

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 17:02 · Archive

Gosport Borough Council has unanimously voted to urge the Home Office to exclude the borough from future small boat disembarkation operations.

Gosport Borough Council has unanimously declared the borough should not be used as a planned landing point for small boats, voting to urge the Home Office to exclude Gosport from future disembarkation operations.

The motion follows attempts to land small boats in the borough on September 22 and October 4. During the September incident, the vessel was ultimately taken by sea to Dover instead. On October 4, people were brought ashore at Fort Blockhouse. Both occasions sparked widespread protests. Councillors have now agreed to seek confirmation from the Home Office that Fort Blockhouse is not being considered for disembarkation, reception or processing of people arriving after irregular small-boat crossings.

Council leader Zoe Huggins said the opposition was based on 'facts and evidence' that Gosport is not a safe and suitable site. She cited the borough's infrastructure as unsuitable for anyone and expressed frustration that the Home Office and Home Secretary had not responded to the council's concerns. Under the motion, the council will request that any future proposals affecting Gosport undergo an assessment covering access, safety, emergency resilience and impacts on residents and services, with earlier engagement from the Home Office and emergency authorities.

How it is being reported

• "Not a safe and suitable site" as councillors unite to oppose future small boat landings in GosportThe motion follows a small-boat arrival earlier this monthThe News, Portsmouth · 15 Oct, 16:37
• Councillors unite to oppose future small boat landings in GosportCouncillors have unanimously declared Gosport should not be used as a planned landing point for small boatsSouthern Daily Echo · 15 Oct, 13:54

In this story: Gosport Borough Council · Gosport · Home Office · Fort Blockhouse · Zoe Huggins · Dover · Ministry of Defence

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem