Plans to house refugees in a former prison have been altered after security fears.

The Home Office was considering placing more than 1,000 asylum seekers at Northeye on the outskirts of Bexhill.

The proposal caused a huge uproar in the community and in July Rother District Council wrote to the Court of Appeal in a bid to halt the plans.

But Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle, said it is now proposed that the former prison could be used to house people who have arrived illegally in the UK.

Mr Merriman said the centre, if it proceeds, will only hold those awaiting removal from the country, meaning that it will be a closed, detained and secure site and that those staying will not be expected to remain for longer than 45 days.

With the site now being proposed as a closed site, he said, the existing buildings will need to be demolished and rebuilt.

The MP said many residents had feared “asylum seekers would be free to come and go in circumstances where security is difficult to assess”.

“I have always maintained that a reasoned and constructive dialogue in private with the Home Office would more likely deliver a solution for local residents than would occur via public discourse,” he said.

“This approach has led to the conclusion that Northeye, given its location so close to a large town, would be more suitable as a ‘detained’ site than an ‘open’ site.

“I also believe that a detained site, as well as the Rwandan transfer scheme, will act as a deterrent to those risking their lives by crossing the Channel meaning that fewer will do so. Many of these people are at the mercy of people-trafficking gangs. These changes should help us to break these gangs up.”

A joint statement from Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council said the new scheme could have a lower impact on the area but that there are still many details to iron out.

“There are still many unknown details about the new proposal, including when construction work on the site would be carried out, when the first people would arrive and how many people would be housed there," the statement said.

"The demand on local public services also needs to be assessed.

“While this proposal could have a lower impact on surrounding communities than an open centre for migrants, we know it remains a serious concern for many residents, especially those who live closest to Northeye.

“They would welcome more information and regular updates from the Home Office and we will continue to press for these on behalf of everyone in our communities.”

Mr Merriman said he will host a meeting for residents to explain the new proposals and will invite Home Office officials and stakeholders to attend.

Northeye was a category C prison from 1969 to 1992 and suffered a massive fire during a riot in April 1986. Roofing which contained asbestos was set ablaze and there have been fears about site safety.