Gravesend hotel will not be used for asylum accommodation

A Premier Inn in Gravesend, Kent, will not be used to house refugees or asylum seekers

Hotel chain Premier Inn has said it has "no plans" to turn a hotel in Kent into asylum seeker accommodation.

The chain said it had "not been approached by the Home Office" regarding its site in Wrotham Road, Gravesend.

On Tuesday, the leader of Gravesham Borough Council criticised the plans in a letter to the immigration minister.

A Home Office spokesperson said the use of hotels to house asylum seekers was "unacceptable".

Gravesham Borough Council said it received official confirmation from the Home Office that it had identified the site on Wrotham Road to be used to accommodate asylum seekers.

The authority said this was further ratified in a meeting between council officials on Tuesday and that representatives from both the Home Office and Clearsprings - which manages asylum hotel accommodation on behalf of the Home Office - had been talking to local management of the hotel.

On Wednesday, Premier Inn confirmed it was "not entering into any kind of agreement on this basis with the Home Office in Gravesend or any of our hotels".

The firm said its hotels "simply aren't set up for these kinds of long term stays" for reasons such as lack of cooking facilities or communal areas.

'Hugely damaging'

Gravesham Borough Council's leader, John Burden, thanked Premier Inn for its "intervention" on the matter.

He said: "It is reassuring to know that Premier Inn as an organisation will not be pursuing government contracts to house asylum seekers in Gravesham because it would be hugely damaging to our borough and to our community on so many different levels."

A Home Office spokesperson said they were working closely to listen to the local community's views and reduce the impact of sites, including through providing onsite security and financial support.

"We engage with local authorities as early as possible whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation and work to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people," they said.