Josh Babarinde
Josh Babarinde
16 April, 2025
Opinion

Political opinion with Josh Babarinde MP: Emergency support for Farnol House residents

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a devastating fire broke out at Farnol House on Upperton Road. I’ve spoken to many of the affected residents over the past few days— people have been unable to return to their homes and are short of essential supplies.

Supporting residents at Emergency Hub

On Tuesday, I brought together just some of Eastbourne’s incredible organisations — the Salvation Army, Eastbourne Foodbank, Citizens Advice, Age Concern, and Eastbourne Borough Council — to coordinate an emergency response. Together, we’ve launched the Farnol House Emergency Hub, which is located at the Salvation Army Citadel, 141 Langney Road.

Here’s what’s on offer for all Farnol House residents:

Salvation Army Citadel, 141 Langney Road.
Salvation Army Citadel, 141 Langney Road. Credit: Josh Babarinde MP
  • Hot meals - The incredible Salvation Army team will provide hot meals from 5pm–5:30pm exclusively for Farnol House residents before their wider evening service. Hot meals can also be delivered. Many residents have told me their temporary accommodation doesn’t have cooking facilities, so this is vital.
  • Clothing - Thanks to Eastbourne Foodbank, Salvation Army and Age Concern, clothing and underwear are available for collection between 9am and 5:30pm at the Citadel. We’ll just ask for confirmation of your address.
  • Toiletries- Basic hygiene shouldn’t be a luxury — and thanks to Eastbourne Foodbank and Salvation Army, toiletries are available at the hub too.
  • Advice - My casework team is working directly with affected residents to provide housing and benefits advice, and Citizens Advice are also offering support.

A massive thank you to all the other fantastic organisations across Eastbourne that have offered their support. It’s moments like these that make me incredibly proud to be an Eastbournian.

Looking ahead, Stonewater Housing, Eastbourne Borough Council, and East Sussex County Council are assessing longer-term options to help move residents out of emergency hotel accommodation and into something more stable. I’ll continue pushing to make sure this happens quickly and with compassion.

As for the fire itself, the cause has not yet been confirmed. I’ve urged Stonewater to conduct a full investigation and they’ve assured me they’re in contact with the Health and Safety Executive to get answers.

If you’ve been affected and need help, please don’t hesitate to contact me at josh.babarinde.mp@parliament.uk or on 01323 733030.