A former care home looks set to be used for unaccompanied child asylum seekers.
The Aspen Lodge in London Road, Deal, will is earmarked to provide temporary accommodation for 18 under-16s for up to 10 days, until they are found homes with other local authorities.
These are children who have arrived in the UK alone, usually by small boat crossing and landing at Dover.
The Reform UK-run Kent County Council (KCC), which is proposing the scheme, says it has a legal duty to do this.
A spokesperson for the authority told KentOnline: “Aspen Lodge will be a children’s home for the temporary accommodation of up to 18 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children aged under 16 years old.
“This is before they are transferred to another local authority via the National Transfer Scheme within 10 days of arrival.
“KCC has a statutory duty to care for all unaccompanied children arriving in the county under the Children Act 1989.
“Works are ongoing to Aspen Lodge and we cannot confirm the exact operational date at this time.”
KCC has been consulting neighbouring residents and schools, local authorities, and ward and division councillors over the scheme, plus Kent Police and NHS Kent and Medway.
A letter sent to residents last month by KCC said it must comply with the 2023 High Court ruling to accommodate and look after all unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children arriving in the county.
This is until they can be transferred to the safe care of another UK local authority.
All reception centres, and the services KCC provides to UAS children, are funded by central government, not from the council’s reserves or from the Kent taxpayer.
The letter adds: “KCC’s experience of running existing reception centres has shown UAS children present extremely minimal risk to local communities.
“Aspen Lodge will have dedicated KCC staff and security on site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“Security will be present to protect against unauthorised access to the site, not because of the children themselves.”
All such reception centres must register with Ofsted, and the intention is to register Aspen Lodge as a children’s home.
Cllr Helen Williams, Labour district councillor for Deal, told KentOnline: “I very much welcome these children to Deal.
“I hope others will think likewise.”
As it will be a temporary home, children will not enrol in local schools.
Instead, KCC staff will deliver support and activities including English language lessons and guidance on English law and society.
The residing youngsters will be allowed to leave the home for short periods if supervisors approve and know when they are coming back.
Figures show that last March there were 498 UAS children looked after in Kent, the highest figure for any UK local authority.
Aspen Lodge was a residential home for the elderly that could house up to 25 people, some with dementia.
It served that purpose at least from 2013 until its closure in early 2024.
