Parish councillor Mark Gilbert said the area did not have enough public transport
Residents in a village which recently fought off plans to house asylum seekers say they feel scared over proposals for homeless people from London to move there instead.
They have also argued that Stoke Heath in Shropshire is unsuitable because it has little public transport and want the new homes there to be sold or rented out to local people.
The previous plans, to house up to 83 asylum seekers in new-build homes on Dutton Close were scrapped in July following local opposition and the intervention of the Home Secretary
But on Thursday, Shropshire Council said it had discovered that Enfield Council is now looking to rent properties there to homeless people to whom it owes a housing duty.
The council said it had written to the authority in the capital to raise "significant concerns" while Enfield Council said no decision had been made and no households placed there.
One woman, who did not want to give her name, said: "We're terrified, this is the second time now that we have had to worry about where we live."
Another woman, who also did not want to be identified, said: "It's just the unknown, we don't know who we are going to get here, we're just not told anything."
She said she accepted the owner of the properties had to make a profit, but she thought the homes should be sold or rented to local families at a "reasonable price".
"All along they were geared for the local people that's how they got the planning in the first place," she said.
"It's putting the fear of God in everybody they're really unsettling us over this," she added.
A third woman said: "We want to see these houses filled with families, but not people from Enfield. Why Enfield? I just don't understand it when we've got a waiting list here."
Mark Gilbert, a Stoke upon Tern parish councillor, said transport would be a problem for anyone moving into the area.
"The bus service around here is haphazard. If you take someone out of Enfield and put them here you might as well have dropped them in the middle of nowhere," he said.
Gilbert said he had spoken to local estate agents who told him they "would happily market these properties because they've got a database of people who want them".
He added: "Dutton Close is a lovely, lovely area to live, but I feel deeply sad that again Dutton Close is hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons."
Dutton Close residents felt the new homes should go to people from the local area
Shropshire Council said it and Stoke on Tern Parish Council had learned of proposals by Enfield Council "to place families to whom it owes a housing duty… through private rented housing arrangements".
Shropshire Council said the properties were currently available to rent or buy on the open market but it believed the homes were "not a suitable location for these placements".
A spokesperson said the site was "poorly connected, with limited access to transport, services and other essential support" and had no community facilities nearby.
The council acknowledged that it had no legal grounds to stop Enfield Council, but "strongly urged" it not to proceed.
Local MP Mark Pritchard has said Dutton Close would be "a completely inappropriate site".
"I think it is wrong that people from a London borough are relocated from an urban area into a very, very rural area where there aren't support services," he said.
Enfield Council said it was exploring housing options as it faced significant accommodation pressures.
Tell us which stories we should cover in Shropshire
Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, external, X, external and Instagram, external.
London council eyes asylum-row village for homeless
MP confirms asylum housing plan scrapped
New-build homes should not house migrants, says Home Office
Villagers worried about asylum seeker plans
Shropshire Council
Enfield Council
Kidderminster man, 31, admits burgling property in south Shropshire
Driver, 20, fined hundreds for failing to stop for cops in Shrewsbury
Park Hall Farm put on the market after more than 25 years of success
Council urges London counterpart not to place families in north Shropshire homes
Council leaders urge Government to restore direct rail services to London
AFC Weston Rhyn announce four new signings to boost squad
Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC
Trump announces deal for Russian diesel as Zelensky calls it a gift to Putin
Analysis: Trump's shock Russia deal highlights mounting pressure to curb fuel prices
NI secretary to ban the Drumcree parade
Ashe was too scared to cancel her wedding – the story became a hit song
Boots has a new owner: Three ways it could affect you
'Everyone hates the police' – what France's school protests reveal about a divided nation
'Airlines sound alarm on costs crisis' and 'King's £1.5m bailout'
Autism, ADHD and mental health review: What you need to know
Olivia Colman on viral Wicker memes: 'This has never happened to me before'
Will El Niño and the polar vortex bring snow to the UK this winter?
Weekly quiz: How long did it take for Glastonbury tickets to sell out?
US Politics Unspun: Cut through the noise with Anthony Zurcher's newsletter
Brad Pitt stars as a tank commander on a dangerous mission in WWII
How rats were trained to clear landmines
First look: The hotly-anticipated second series is coming soon
How does The Odyssey unfold?
Trump announces deal for Russian diesel as Zelensky calls it a gift to Putin
'Airlines sound alarm on costs crisis' and 'King's £1.5m bailout'
Three men found guilty of murdering two Australian surfer brothers and US friend
JD Vance casts doubt on firing squad execution and says he will not watch it
NI secretary to ban the Drumcree parade
Analysis: Trump's shock Russia deal highlights mounting pressure to curb fuel prices
Early release scheme prisoner jailed days after leaving
Life-threatening Hurricane Isaias makes landfall in Florida
Boots has a new owner: Three ways it could affect you
Thousands of security personnel deployed as Delhi braces for ‘cockroach’ protest
Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
About the Author
