A town set to house 600 male asylum seekers in a nearby Army base is spending £450,000 on Winnie-the-Pooh’s centenary, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Residents say the council money would be better spent on restoring the town centre’s CCTV cameras after they were switched off last year.
Around 4,000 marched through Crowborough, East Sussex, on Sunday to protest against Home Office plans to host asylum seekers at the camp.
A mother of three who took part in a women and girls candlelight procession through Crowborough, East Sussex, at the weekend said: ‘How safe is Crowborough when there are no CCTV cameras and we’re expecting 600 men with nothing to do all day and little money? With what’s gone on in other towns that have migrant hotels we have seen the problems that arise.
‘The council says it can’t do anything to stop the Home Office housing the asylum seekers but they can at least put in cameras to keep us safe. Instead they’re giving half a million to Winnie-the-Pooh.
‘We have no police station in Crowborough and no cameras. Switch them back on please. They might stop crime happening but at least it will be recorded. Why not spend £450,000 on CCTV in our town instead of celebrating 100 years of Winnie the Pooh?’
Wealden District Council has said it wanted to fund Winnie-the-Pooh events to promote tourism and safeguard the woodland.
It said: ‘This investment will help deliver a wide-reaching educational and cultural programme, designed to celebrate the centenary of Winnie-the-Pooh in 2026, while safeguarding the landscape that inspired the story.’
Around 4,000 marched through Crowborough, East Sussex, on Sunday to protest against Home Office plans to host asylum seekers at the nearby Army base
The Hundred Acre Wood in Winnie-the-Pooh is inspired by the Ashdown Forest, which surrounds the town
But members have voiced concerns about the bill at a recent Wealden District Council meeting.
Cllr Ann Newton said: ‘I have nothing against Winnie-the-Pooh. We seem to be contributing a huge amount of money to this project, nearly half a million pounds. But with other priorities, we don’t have an ideal world or an ideal situation, and it just seems to be an awful lot of money.’
Cllr James Partridge defended the funds earmarked for events next year celebrating 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh, inspired by Ashdown Forest, which surrounds the town.
He said: ‘This isn’t really about Winnie-the-Pooh but this is about Ashdown Forest, which is in our trust and we really need to look after it.
‘The Pooh centenary is a chance to draw attention to the connection between him and his beloved Ashdown Forest, and Ashdown Forest was effectively saved by Pooh’s friend, the real Christopher Robin.’
On Sunday thousands of worried residents marched through Crowborough in protest at Home Office plans to use the Army Training Camp to accommodate 540 single, adult male asylum seekers.
It was only after the scheme was announced that residents learned, last month, that the town centre had been without CCTV coverage for more than a year.
Despite the Home Office saying plans to move in the first group of asylum seekers have been delayed, residents aren’t convinced saying there is lots of building activity at the camp every day.
Last week families ramped up their own security with some living in neighbouring properties to the camp paying thousands to protect their homes.
A grandfather who gave his name only as Henry, said: ‘They are working at full pelt down there to get the site ready and they’re even advertising for staff. That doesn’t sound like they’re not coming – they just need a bit more time. The uncertainty and stress for the town is immense. It’s turning a decent town into a circus.’
