Langtoftresident ‘disgusted’ as South Kesteven District Council buys houses in village to be used by refugee families from Ukraine and Afghanistan

A council’s plan to house families fleeing war-torn countries in a village has left a woman ‘disgusted’.

South Kesteven District Council has bought 12 properties in Langtoft.

The properties will provide temporary housing for Afghanistan and Ukrainian refugee families who have arrived legally in the country before being used by families on the council’s housing register.

The 12 homes in Langtoft are the first of 21 earmarked for the scheme in South Kesteven and are a mix of two and three-bedroom new-build houses and two-bedroom bungalows.

But village resident Liz Jarman says ‘there’s an outcry in the village’ over the plans.

Liz believes it’s ‘wonderful’ the government is housing refugees and has ‘no objections to that’ but is angry that ‘little Langtoft’ has been chosen for half of the district’s allocation.

She said the people in Langtoft have ‘not been given one chance’ to buy an affordable house on the development, which has 41 homes in total.

Liz thinks the refugees should be housed in bigger towns, such as Stamford.

“We are just being totally disregarded,” the 74-year-old said.

“It’s not that I’m against refugees - I welcome them - but how can the council do that?

“I’m totally disgusted by the disregard - they’re treating us like we are completely stupid.

“They are more than welcome as they are desperate for homes but so are our people living in crumby bedsits, hotels and hostels.

“Where is the justice?”

After sharing her views on the village Facebook page Liz has been called xenophobic but her response to those people is: “If I’m a xenophobe you must be anti-national.”

Cabinet member for housing and planning, Phil Dilks (Ind) said: “The Government funding had specific timelines for their process. Options were explored across the district and the opportunity to purchase 12 suitable houses in Langtoft was identified as the most appropriate way to meet the urgent demands placed around sourcing accommodation.

“The 12 units were already identified for social housing as per the planning permission; SKDC chose to pursue these under best value for money.

“There are five families in Langtoft on the housing register, all in the lower needs band of four or five and all with no emergency housing need.

“The original report was shared and fully supported at full council, with specifics on location shared at the earliest appropriate time in line with procedure for this or any other acquisition.”