A SUPPORT group in Bude is anxiously waiting to hear whether its application to house a refugee family will be approved. The Home Office and Cornwall Council visited the Bude Refugee Support Group on February 9, to see if accommodation the group has secured to home a refugee family is suitable.

Mary Whibley, the group’s chairman, said the accommodation was ‘deemed more than suitable’ by the local authority and the Home Office, and said they are now waiting for a final decision.

“We discussed our proposal. We hope they would just say yes, okay, but they have had to take it back to an even higher level to get approval. We should hear any moment.”

The group aims to ultimately welcome two families to the town, if they are successful in supporting a first family. Mary added: “We fully intend to take a second family, and within three months of proving how competent we are, we can apply again. It’s quite something to take on this responsibility. They told us they would only consider an application for one family at a time, and want to make sure we get that right.”

A Cornwall Council spokesman said: “Cornwall Council appreciates the great work the Bude Refugee Support Group is undertaking to help and support refugee families in resettling to Cornwall. We have approved their proposal and the accommodation they have secured for a refugee family and they are now waiting for approval from the Home Office to be able to proceed with their plans.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “We have received the application and we are considering it. The decision will be made in due course.”