Jeremy Irons faces red-tape battle to house Ukrainian refugees

Jeremy Irons is facing a red-tape battle to house Ukrainian refugees in an unoccupied building after councils blocked the plan in a row over who owns the property.

Mr Irons, 73, offered to provide funding to renovate the unoccupied building in Watlington, Oxfordshire, in order to accommodate refugees. 

He also said he would pay their living expenses but the actor’s efforts to house refugees are being blocked by a row between local councils.    

Oxfordshire County Council owns the building and has agreed to hand it over to Watlington Parish Council, yet the transfer hit red tape five years ago and has not proceeded.

Mr Irons said: ‘As a country, we have a duty to house refugees.

‘As a community, Watlington wants to be part of that process. I would ask those with the responsibility for running our community to do all in their power to free up this accommodation, to allow us to help with this humanitarian need.’

Mr Irons, who is married to actress Sinead Cusack, told me the Ukraine crisis has left him anguished. 

He said: ‘What my village is doing is what we are able to do at a local level.’

Referring to the low number of visas granted to those fleeing the war, he added: ‘And in the face of our Government’s apparent disorganisation, that’s a start.’

Parish council chair Matt Reid claimed the county council has ‘let refugees slip low down on their priority list’ and allowed the building to fall into disrepair. 

Mr Reid said: ‘Jeremy is a do-er, he rolled up his sleeves and cleared the garden himself by hand, no airs and graces. Without his intervention that building would still be standing empty.’

A county council spokesman says it supports the project and is working with the parish council and Mr Irons.