THE controversial decision to allow asylum seekers to stay at the Fir Grove Hotel in Warrington at short notice has been slammed as a “shoddy deal” by council leader Cllr. Russ Bowden.
Cllr, Bowden issued a statement hitting out at the proposal, after being given legal advice that any legal challenge by Warrington Borough Council would be unlikely to succeed.
The Borough Council and local MP Andy Carter had both attempted to get the Home Office to oppose the use of the hotel, earlier this week, saying it was an unsuitable location, with local statutory services already overstretched.
Cllr Bowden said: “We are extremely concerned about this situation, which is the result of failed Home Office policy and the government’s inability to get to grips with the processing of asylum seeker applications.
“For several days, senior council officers have tried, multiple times, to engage with the Home Office on this matter, but we have effectively been met with silence, with legitimate concerns raised simply not being adequately addressed. There has been no meaningful communication, or engagement, and no notice given to us of this decision until the very last minute.
“We are very unhappy about the Fir Grove Hotel being chosen as a site to house asylum seekers, as we do not believe this is a suitable location. We’re also very disappointed in the owners of the hotel, whose decision will mean the loss of jobs for local people.
“As well as being opposed to the location, we have real concerns about the arrival of vulnerable families and children. The Home Office appears to have given no thought to how they will be looked after and supported, or how this will be funded.
“Our statutory services that support people – including schools and healthcare – are already overstretched, not least due to our Ukrainian relocation plan and the influx of an estimated 2,800 new residents from Hong Kong. The arrival of additional asylum seekers, with no notice or opportunity for negotiation with the Home Office, will only further increase the strain on these services which are already at breaking point.
“I also question the selection process and why Warrington has been picked in this manner, when there are other regions and places in the country that have not been subject to the same “drop and dump” dictate and arrangements.
“We have taken detailed legal advice on this matter, including from a KC. The advice we received was that a legal challenge to this decision would be unlikely to succeed, not least due the incredibly short timescales before the asylum seekers arrive in Warrington – a situation which we believe has been deliberately constructed by the Home Office.
“Our immediate priority is our duty of care to the asylum seekers and ensuring their welfare needs are met upon their arrival in Warrington. While we understand the challenges of housing asylum seekers, what is clear is that shoddy deals between the Home Office and a hotel, with no proper dialogue with the local authority, is absolutely not the solution.”
2 Comments
While I totally agree with the unsuitability of the arrangements some of the council leader’s words are a bit ironic when thinking of local issues and the WBC attitude and responses. Perhaps now they’ll understand how Warrington residents feel. “For several days, senior council officers have tried, multiple times, to engage with the Home Office on this matter, but we have effectively been met with silence, with legitimate concerns raised simply not being adequately addressed. There has been no meaningful communication, or engagement, and no notice given to us of this decision until the very last minute.”
Jim Hunter is absolutely right in what he says
WBC don’t care or take any consideration into there planning plans
Don’t listen to the residents regarding their proposals and concerns.
All WBC want to do is build flats in the Town to recoup the 1.7 billion pounds the Town is in debt too because of Russ Bowden and his cronies poor investments that have failed