The Limes Care Home, Dartford

The Limes is a former Kent County Council care home on Brent Lane in Dartford that closed in 2011. Following the legal ruling that triggered a sharp rise in unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) entering KCC care in 2023, the council decided to repurpose the property as temporary supported accommodation for under 18s arriving in Kent awaiting transfer to other local authorities. KCC stated that the provision is wholly funded by central government and does not present an additional burden on Kent taxpayers, distinguishing it from KCC funded adult social care^[1]Council.

In a 19 January 2024 letter to Brent Lane residents, KCC explained that the former Limes care home would shortly be brought back into use as supported accommodation for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. The letter was followed by Kent Online coverage on 19 December 2023 quoting Dartford MP Gareth Johnson who said he had told the leader of KCC that the Limes was totally unsuitable for this kind of usage due to the residential nature of its location, and KCC Leader Roger Gough citing dramatic increase in UASC arrivals as the rationale^[2]Press.

Brent Lane resident Josh told Kent Online he and his neighbours were a bit concerned as nobody had mentioned the change to them, that there had been no meetings with residents, and that work had already started by the time they were aware^[2]Press.

Kent Online reported that hundreds of residents signed a local petition opposing the conversion of the Limes care home into a UASC reception centre, citing lack of consultation, the residential character of Brent Lane and concerns about traffic. The petition was unsuccessful and the conversion proceeded^[4]Press.

In November 2025, Britain First circulated claims on social media that the Limes was housing adult male asylum seekers with beards and receding hairlines. Kent County Council issued a public statement, reported by Kent Online on 12 November 2025, dismissing the claims and reiterating that the Limes opened as Ofsted registered supported accommodation for unaccompanied asylum seeking children in September 2024 and has never been used as accommodation for adult asylum seekers. KCC explained that reception centres are temporary homes for children whilst they wait to be transferred to permanent placements in other local authorities via the National Transfer Scheme^[3]Press.

UASC reception centre placements typically cost central government substantially more per child per day than the £170 per person per night Migration Observatory hotel benchmark^[5], because Ofsted registered supported accommodation requires dedicated staff ratios, safeguarding leads, key workers and education access. Industry estimates put the cost of UASC supported accommodation in the £200 to £300 per child per day range. At a conservative £100 per child per day for a 20 bed reception centre, the headline cost is around £2,000 per night and £730,000 per year, all met by central government rather than KCC^[1]Council.