Council opposes change to asylum seeker hotel plan

Residents are said to be very concerned about the proposed changes

Spelthorne Borough Council (SBC) has said it is "alarmed" by Home Office proposals to exclusively house male asylum seekers at a hotel in the area.

In a letter sent to the Secretary of State, council leader Joanne Sexton raised concerns regarding changes to plans for The Stanwell Hotel on Stanwell's Town Lane.

The authority said it had previously approved of only accommodating families and single women at the venue - all of whom will now have to be relocated due to the mooted turnaround.

The Home Office said it wants to close all hotels by the end of Parliament and it will "continue to work closely with community partners".

Sexton said: "This unexpected reversal has caused shock and significant concern within the local community."

She added that the families already placed at the hotel had been "integrating well and building community ties", but "this abrupt change risks undermining all that."

Sexton said she is "alarmed about the potential consequences of the proposed changes and the impact they will have.

"Residents are very concerned and have begun contacting their local councillors for clarity, which they're unable to provide due to the lack of official briefing."

A spokesperson for SBC added that, while Spelthorne had a history of supporting asylum seekers and refugees, it still expected to be "properly consulted and involved in decisions that significantly impact the local area".

"We are urging the Government to listen to concerns and call upon the Home Office to immediately reconsider and consult on the way forward."

In a statement, the Home Office said: "The government is reducing expensive hotel use as part of a complete overhaul of the asylum system.

"From over 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023, costing almost £9 million a day, there are now less than 210 - and we want them all closed by the end of this Parliament.

"We will continue to work closely with community partners across the country, discussing any concerns, as we look to fix this broken system together.

"The security of the local communities within which hotels are located will always be our paramount concern."