People renting rooms in a former care home say they have been blindsided by plans to turn it into a facility for unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children.

Residents of Connors House in Canterbury have been given just weeks to find somewhere else to live after Kent County Council (KCC) snapped up the building to temporarily house young migrants.

As many as 30 tenants have been staying at the site as so-called “property guardians”, paying reduced rents in exchange for protecting it from vandals and squatters.

While the scheme leaves users at the mercy of only 28 days’ notice, those at Connors House say they were told it would likely be 2025 before they would have to move out.

The site closed as a care home in January last year and eight months later was bought by Boutique Care Homes with the intention of developing it into a larger care facility.

In May this year, the firm submitted official plans for the project to Canterbury City Council - triggering a process that would have likely seen construction begin next year if permission was secured.

But just weeks later, on July 30, those living at Connors House learned the building had been snapped up by KCC and their days were numbered.

A letter sent to neighbours - and also delivered to the former care home itself - revealed the authority planned to use the site to house UAS children for 10 days after their arrival in the county on cross-Channel boats.

As a result, Live-In Guardians - which runs the guardianship scheme at Connors House - had no choice but to serve four weeks’ notice on tenants, giving them until September 2 to find a new home.

Steve Kormendy, who has lived at the site since February and acts as head guardian, says the news was a complete shock to residents, some of whom had only moved in just days before.

“We were told we would be here, and expected to be here, for a year to 18 months before building works started,” he said.

“We couldn’t believe it when we were told [KCC had bought it] - all of us genuinely sat here with our mouths open in silence.

“I was thinking ‘no, this can’t be true’.

“We thought we’d be here until at least 2025 and anything else on top of that would be a bonus.”

A High Court last year ruled KCC has an obligation to look after all lone migrant children arriving in the county.

The authority says it needs nine reception centres for this purpose and has so far publicly identified eight, but only two are currently operational.

Connors House would not open until at least April 2025, housing 50 children aged 16 and 17.

In the letter sent to residents in the area, the authority said it was “regrettable” it had not been able to announce the decision sooner.

“The necessity to comply with the court ruling and accommodate all UAS children who continue to arrive in Kent means it is not possible for KCC to consult with residents in ways it would normally and prefer to do,” it said.

“UAS children are extremely appreciative of the accommodation and support they receive from KCC and are eager to learn about, integrate and contribute to UK society.”

Mr Kormendy believes KCC should have made efforts to contact those living in Connors House before announcing the purchase and its future plans.

“They should have come and talked to us, offered just some sort of communication, but instead we've got a letter there saying you're going to be removed and other people are going to be brought in,” the dad-of-one said.

“It’s made a lot of people angry and I just can't sit back and watch it happen.

“The reason people are here is because they don't have a lot of money and there's no housing. Everyone is really worried.

“This is not [Boutique] giving us notice because the building needs to be returned for the work that needs to be done. This is because central government has said ‘you've got to sort people out that are coming in’.

“We've now been given notice by [Live-In Guardians] and I have to stress that they're not to blame in this. They're just doing what they’re told to do.”

While accepting the nature of guardianship can leave tenants vulnerable to sudden changes, Mr Kormendy says given the short notice, KCC should be placed in charge of finding tenants new accommodation.

“I just don't know what to do now. Do I try and stay? I haven't got the money to move,” he said.

“Nobody contacted us. I've tried to contact KCC and they've just not answered.

“If they want me to leave, sure, I'll leave – but give me a place to live.”

When operating as a reception centre, Connors House will be staffed 24 hours a day.

UAS children will stay for a maximum of 10 days before being moved to more permanent accommodation across the country.

They will be free to come and go for short periods of time with the permission of staff, allowing them to explore the city during their residency.

KCC took in 1,165 UAS children between January and June this year - an 87% increase on 624 in the same period last year.

Roger Gough, leader of Kent County Council said: “KCC exchanged on Connors House in Canterbury via private treaty directly with the vendor.

“This purchase was in direct response to the High Court judgment last summer requiring KCC to take ‘every possible step’ to care for all UAS children arriving on its shores by securing Ofsted appropriate new reception centres across the county at pace.

“KCC has undertaken extensive property searches and there are extremely limited suitable properties available for this use in the county within the timescales required which has dictated the acquisition of new reception centres.

“KCC has no relationship with the guardian company currently providing occupiers/guardians to the vendor for vacant holding purposes. Further, KCC has no knowledge of any relationships between the occupiers/guardians, the guardian company or the Vendor.

“The purchase was exchanged on the basis that KCC would be able to take vacant possession of the property, as is usual practice for the purchase of any commercial property. This is the case whether or not the property is occupied by the vendor or occupiers/guardians that are permitted to occupy the property by the vendor.

“KCC has no control over any occupiers that are permitted to occupy the property by the vendor.

“Unfortunately, for far too long Kent has effectively been required to find solutions for this national problem, dictated by global migration patterns, within the very limited resources and tools available to a county council simply because of its location on the shortest crossing from Europe.

“I am hopeful the new government will now reform the National Transfer Scheme into an efficient and sustainable solution so that KCC is not required to operate such a disproportionately large number of reception centres in one small part of the nation.”