Planning Application Rejected Amid Local Opposition
Councillors have refused proposals to convert the former Lochbank Manor care home in Forfar, Angus, into a 35-bedroom house of multiple occupancy (HMO).
This decision follows months of public controversy and objections from residents concerned about the development.
Some locals expressed fears that the developers intended to use the property to accommodate migrants. Over 600 representations were submitted to Angus Council regarding the application.
However, approximately 160 of these representations were redacted by the council, citing that the claims were "variously untrue, inaccurate, or likely to provoke unrest, hatred or harm."
The council's development standards committee ultimately rejected the application, concluding that the concerns outweighed any potential benefits.
The decision was made after a site visit by committee members.
Councillors highlighted concerns about unsuitable living conditions, noting that the proposed HMO would require 10 residents to share a single kitchen.
There were also apprehensions about the impact of transient residents on the local community.
While acknowledging positive aspects such as reusing a vacant building, councillors expressed reservations due to the applicant's lack of experience managing HMOs and the current state of the proposal.
Veriton Group submitted the application to Angus Council on 13 October 2024, concerning the former care home which closed earlier that year.
Soon after, local resident and former community councillor David Gardner established a Facebook group named Forfar Concerned Residents - Lochbank.
Gardner is affiliated with The Homeland Party, which anti-fascist organisation Hope Not Hate describes as fascist. The party has stated that mass immigration has "imported cultures and criminal networks that prey on women and children."
Gardner has also promoted the campaign on TikTok, suggesting that an increase in immigrants in the area would lead to higher crime rates.
There are no official statistics on the ethnicity or immigration status of individuals committing crimes in Scotland.
Police Scotland has previously indicated that its crime recording systems do not include markers for such data, and obtaining it would require reviewing individual crime reports.
Misinformation Claims and Community Response
During the planning application process, a social media and leafleting campaign opposing the proposals was supported by The Homeland Party, which advocates deporting "illegal, unintegrated and unwelcome migrants."
The developers denied intentions to house migrants in the building, suggesting it might instead be used to accommodate homeless individuals, veterans, or survivors of domestic abuse.
One local anti-racism campaigner stated that the controversy had resulted in "division, discrimination and hate," and that racism was increasing in the town.
Angus Council cautioned against "inaccurate or malicious speculation that has no basis in truth and potential to harm our communities."
This situation follows a series of anti-asylum seeker protests across the UK in 2024, including in Aberdeen and Falkirk.
In December, Veriton Group issued a letter clarifying that their HMO application "does not relate to the housing of asylum seekers or immigrants at Lochbank Manor."
The letter stated that the company was collaborating with housing associations in England and Scotland to support veterans, domestic abuse survivors, and homeless people.
It added:
"Nothing is finalised and no group has been selected or considered a front-runner at this early stage of the application process."
If the property were used to house homeless individuals, some occupants could be migrants who have been granted asylum.
However, BBC Verify's research indicates that the number of such individuals in the region is very low.
The most recent Scottish government data shows 320 homelessness applications to Angus Council between April and September 2025.
Of these, no more than five applicants had refugee status or leave to remain.
In the 12 months ending September 2025, Angus received 660 homelessness applications, with 10 from people granted refugee status or leave to remain, and none under the Homes for Ukraine visa scheme.
Council Statement on Community Impact
Prior to the April meeting discussing the HMO application, an Angus Council spokesperson stated:
"Contrary to some speculation, there is no indication that it will be a home for people seeking asylum. As a council, we will always respond to inaccurate or malicious speculation that has no basis in truth and where it has the potential to harm our communities, the people who live within them and those who come to live in Angus."
A member of Forfar Against Racism, speaking anonymously, said:
"Forfar has always been a vibrant and welcoming community until November last year. Now we can see and hear the racism building in the town. It has become the norm and it is frightening. The town fell under a dark cloud of division, discrimination and hate against asylum seekers and the LGBTQIA community. It has created an atmosphere of fear and division within our community."
Supporters of Local Campaign and Developer Response
The Homeland Party expressed support for local residents' rights to campaign, object, and discuss immigration policy impacts openly.
A party spokesperson said:
"This is a genuine grassroots local campaign against a major proposal in Forfar. Dave is one man out of more than 650 people who have formally objected, with many more local residents sharing the same concerns. To present this as though it were simply the conduct of one individual is misleading."
David Gardner stated:
"People being aware of the risks, based on what has been happening in similar towns from Dumfries to Elgin, is not misinformation. It is common sense. This is not racial profiling. It is pattern recognition based on repeated policy failure, repeated community concerns, and repeated consequences that ordinary people are then expected to live with."
He added:
"People are entitled to be angry that those who enter illegally can still be housed and supported at public expense, even where many claims do not succeed at the first decision. That is not offensive language. It is a statement about a failed system and its cost to the public."
There were concerns about the amount of traffic the HMO could bring to the area.
