A local county councillor has slammed an ‘unacceptable’ stance from the Home Office after it was revealed that it had only offered to pay less than half the amount owed to the local authority to cover the recovery costs of Penally camp, which was repurposed back in September of last year to use as an asylum seeker accommodation centre.

Despite an invoice for more than £80,000 being submitted by Pembrokeshire County Council to the Home Office for Penally camp costs, an offer of just £39,700 of the amount invoiced has been made by the HO, Penally county councillor Jon Preston stated in a report to the village’s community council this week.

Penally Training Camp returned to Ministry of Defence control in March, ending its controversial Home Office imposed use as accommodation for asylum seekers during the pandemic, which was carried out without any consultation with the community, Local Authority, Welsh Government, Hywel Dda Health Board, Dyfed Powys Police or any other stakeholders.

The move followed a damning inspection report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) and the independent chief inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) into conditions at the facility.

The return of Penally camp to the MoD ended a six-month period of ‘disruption and uncertainty’ for the community, Clr. Preston said at the time, going onto state that there remained a need to fully scrutinise the way in which the Home Office acted on the matter.

Clr. Preston also urged the local authority to invoice the Home Office to ensure that they were fully reimbursed for costs incurred in providing staff, services and other associated resources to Penally camp during its re-purpose.

In a report that went before Penally community council on Wednesday (May 26) night, Clr. Preston told members that he had recently received a full breakdown of costs to Pembrokeshire County Council for providing services to Penally camp during the time of its repurposing by the Home Office, but that the costs did not consider the ones incurred by Penally council during that time.

“The county council invoiced the Home Office on February 28 this year, but disappointingly and despite some assurance to the contrary given to me by council leader Clr. David Simpson at the March full council meeting, the Home Office has yet to reimburse Pembrokeshire county council for these costs which amount to £83,851.71,” stated Clr. Preston.

“I have since learnt that an offer of just 42 per cent (£39,700) of the amount invoiced was made by the Home Office on April 19!

“Following my question to the council leader which asked - ‘Penally training camp has now been under the control of the Home Office for almost 6 months. Please can the relevant cabinet member provide a breakdown of all costs to this authority which have been incurred in providing staff, services and other associated resources to Penally camp since its re-purpose by the Home Office last September’ - Clr. Simpson responded that no costs had been recovered at that time due to the invoice only being submitted at the end of February.

“He went on to say that, in terms of cost recovery, he had the full support of the Welsh Local Government Association and Ministers, including MP Simon Hart,” continued Clr. Preston.

“If the full costs are not returned to Pembrokeshire county council, it will fall on the taxpayers of Pembrokeshire to make up any shortfall, this includes the residents of Penally who have already directly burdened some of these costs through their council tax precept.

“This is unacceptable and I will continue to support officers of the Local Authority who have been persistent in seeking the recovery of these costs despite some frustrating manoeuvring by Home Office officials,” he added.