Right-wing X account publishes false story claiming council spent £25m on homes for migrants

Martin Shipton

A right-wing social media account has falsely claimed that a local authority spent £25m building 90 temporary housing units for “migrants”.

In fact, the units at Llantwit Major were built for people on the Vale of Glamorgan council’s housing waiting list, with some also being occupied by refugees from the war in Ukraine.

DOGE Wales – named in honour of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, whose arbitrary dismissal of US federal government employees is causing financial chaos for the Trump administration – posted a message to X headlined: “Exposed: Council wasted £25m on ‘temporary’ housing for migrants.”

The message beneath read: “The Vale of Glamorgan Council hiked council tax by 5.9% recently. So it’s only right that we look at their spending decisions. Here’s one we don’t think residents will approve of.

“This ‘temporary’ housing scheme is located in Llantwit Major. We use quotation marks, because the council has no credible exit strategy. It will be there years.”

Accurate

We asked Vale of Glamorgan council whether DOGE Wales’ description of the units as being for “migrants” was accurate.

A spokesperson for the council responded: “The units are for Ukrainian refugees and people on the council’s housing waiting list.”

The spokesperson also provided us with a press release issued by the authority in October 2024, which confirmed that the units were about to welcome their first tenants.

The press release stated: “Built on the site of the former Eagleswell Primary School, the project has been signed off by the Vale of Glamorgan council’s Planning and Building Control Teams so is ready for use.

“The units will provide high-quality, short-term housing for those in significant need, such as refugees from the war in Ukraine and local families on the Council’s housing waiting list.

“Work on the properties, which will be known as Heol Croeso, began last year. They are a mix of single and two-storey one, two, three and four-bed homes for use on a short-term basis until more permanent housing is secured.

The high-quality homes have been finished to exacting standards.

“They can be moved to different locations in the future as required, while the development includes a pond, landscaped areas, gardens, car parking and an internal road.

‘Desperate need’

Cllr Lis Burnett, the Labour leader of the council, was quoted saying: “This development will provide temporary accommodation for those in desperate need, such as people fleeing the war in Ukraine and those currently living in other less suitable settings.

“It reflects a council priority to help the most vulnerable as we bid to become a county of sanctuary, signifying a commitment to support those who have suffered forced displacement.

“There is an urgent need for new homes as Wales is experiencing a housing crisis created by a shortage of accommodation, growing waiting lists and increased levels of homelessness.

““The use of this site will be important in easing the pressure on council housing stock and represents a far more dignified solution than the use of substantially more expensive and cramped temporary hotel accommodation.”

The press release continued: “The council has seen unprecedented levels of extreme housing need and a significant rise in the number of homeless applications in the last two years. These units will be one of the ways in which we support homeless families.

“There are more than 200 families currently in temporary accommodation with on average four new cases moving into temporary accommodation each week. This has led to the council needing to place families in hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation for the first time in over a decade.

“The Eagleswell site is allocated for housing development in the Vale’s current Local Development Plan. However, there has also been discussion with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board about the use of some or all of the site for a new health facility for Llantwit Major. These discussions will continue, and any permanent development of the site will be subject to public consultation.”

‘Deliberately manipulated’

Reacting to the false posts from DOGE Wales, which is believed by many Senedd insiders to be produced by aides of former Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies, although that has not been confirmed, Plaid Cymru Vale of Glamorgan councillor Mark Hooper said: “Our politics in Wales is being deliberately manipulated by those who hide behind anonymous social media accounts. Today, they’ve been caught out – they’re simply making stuff up, pretending that it’s news.

“When this is done accidentally, an apology may suffice, but when, as in this case, it’s being done to sow hatred and division, it should be called out.

“If this account is anything to do with the Welsh Conservatives, I’d expect their leader, Darren Millar, to deal with those involved swiftly. This misinformation game has no place here in Wales.”