West Northamptonshire Council leader criticises Government's decision to house up to 400 more asylum seekers in the area in January

The leader of West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has labelled the Government's decision to house up to 400 more asylum seekers in the area as “not acceptable”.

WNC says it has expressed “significant concerns” to the Home Office over its decision to temporarily house up to 400 additional asylum seekers in the area, “as services already in high demand face increasing pressure”.

In early December the Home Office told the council of its plans to use a former hotel as a fourth site to house asylum seekers in West Northants, with the possibility of it starting in January.

A WNC spokesman said: "The council and its residents have welcomed many asylum seekers over the recent months and currently supports the largest number of hotel guests in the East Midlands. While we are proud of this record it is because of this that we expressed our concerns over the unsuitability of the proposed location and the added strain that providing access to essential services would place on already-stretched health, education and social care."

The council says it has “consistently made its concerns and objections clear” to Home Office representatives but these “have been disregarded”.

The council spokesman said: "With the new influx of migrants, there will be more than 1,000 staying in hotel accommodation across West Northamptonshire. This includes 250 Afghan guests across two hotels, with the remainder in four of the Government’s asylum contingency accommodation. In addition, around 500 Ukrainian refugees, who also need access to local services, are staying with hosts in the area."

According to the council, the location of the latest hotel, which WNC has not named, means there are three in “very close proximity” to each other, creating a “number of issues including pressure on GPs, capacity at schools, strains on adult social care, and irregular public transport”.

Councillor Jonathan Nunn, WNC Leader, said: “The Home Office has decided to use a further hotel within our area to house asylum seekers.

"We have expressed significant concerns about this move, due to the unsuitable location and the impact that a fourth asylum contingency hotel would have on services such as health, education and social care, already in high demand from all our residents.

"We’re incredibly proud that West Northamptonshire has welcomed many families and individuals fleeing persecution and conflict into our area through our resettlement schemes, and residents tell us that they are too. But it’s only right that we have sufficient resources in place to meet their essential needs and help make the best of their situation.

"This latest decision by the Home Office has placed services in our area under unreasonable and unsustainable pressure.

"This is not acceptable when there are other areas with nowhere close to same kind of commitment, and we will continue to make representation to the Home Office over this issue in the hope that they recognise that fact and completely re-think this."

The council added: “Since the Government’s initial approach, the council has been engaging with local parishes, community and faith groups to see what support can be arranged in the event that the Government failed to listen.”