The district council has defended plans to spend £6.2 million on 21 homes specifically to house refugees, saying it will not disadvantage those on housing waiting lists.

Warwick District Council's cabinet last night (March 8) agreed to borrow £3.67 million, adding to £2.8 million of government cash for the project. 

The council's loan from the Public Works Loan Board is expected to result in £3.4 million in interest payments, but all that cost is expected to be covered by rental income. 

It will fund the purchase of 19 permanent homes and two bridging houses the report states are "solely for Ukrainian and Afghan households".

One of the objectives is to ensure "areas are not disadvantaged by increased pressures from these arrivals".

But among the risks highlighted was "reputational issues such as queue jumping by groups identified", which the council plans to mitigate through "well thought-out publicity around the scheme". 

Opposition group leaders were asked for their views during the meeting that rubber stamped the plan.

Cllr Mini Mangat said: "I think it is really important we set the correct narrative, people are not necessarily being put to the back of the queue because there is housing being made available for refugees."

It was widely agreed by representatives of all parties that the project represents a chance to boost the council's social housing stock.

Cllr Jan Matecki, the district's portfolio holder for housing, said: "In these times of political correctness, I wonder whether the word refugee should be used. These are displaced persons and my family came over as displaced people after World War II.

"If it hadn't been for the generosity of this country providing them with housing, it would have been a terrible start for them.

"It is a great opportunity for us to help 21 families without it being at the expense of people currently on the housing list.

"No, we are not going to be labelling them as anything other than housing. Nobody will know whether they are privately rented, social rents, affordable rents or whatever."

He also said the council "will probably look at new developments where we can probably get further discounts for buying several homes at a time". 

Council leader Cllr Andrew Day said: "This is a reflection of the hospitality, goodwill and support that is in our community for people that have had to come here as evacuees. They have not chosen to come here, they have had to come here because there is nowhere else for them to settle safely.

"Because they have now found a home, it is appropriate that they no longer rely on the goodwill of spare bedrooms, etc, that they are actually given proper homes and can integrate properly into our community."