Trafford council in plea to Home Secretary: 'We need more time to place asylum seekers in hotels'

Trafford council has unanimously agreed to write to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to appeal for ‘adequate notice’ over the placing of people seeking asylum in the borough’s hotels. It follows the arrival of nearly 300 refugees at Altrincham’s Cresta Court Hotel three weeks ago, when town hall leader Tom Ross says he was was given only 72 hours notice about by the decision by the Home Office.

The hotel closed its doors at the end of October with all bookings for events reportedly moved to alternative venues. The owners of Cresta Court reportedly agreed a deal with Serco for temporary accommodation of 296 young male asylum seekers.

It sparked opposition, including frrom Conservative leader Coun Nathan Evans who launched a petition entitled 'say NO to migrant hotels in our area'. There were rowdy exchanges across the council chamber over what the controlling Labour group called ‘divisive rhetoric’ they said had been whipped up by Coun Evans.

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Trafford bosses are now asking Ms Cooper to ensure risk assessments are carried out over the environment surrounding any hotel under consideration as a home for people seeking asylum. The government should ‘provide councils with timely, factual information, including, where possible, the age, gender and languages spoken by people seeking asylum to allow local authorities to work in partnership with bodies such as the NHS, the police and other charitable organisations and faith groups’, the resolution said.

Trafford also wants an impact assessment on local services, including healthcare, education and housing and, where need is identified, additional funding. The main focus of the Conservative’s attack on Labour was the ‘lack of consultation of consultation or notice’.

In his opening speech Coun Phil Eckersley said: “This decision was thrust upon our community without any prior consultation or notice.” And in reference to Coun Evans’ petition, he continued: “Coun Ross has said that this needs to be dialled down, however 6,000 people [who signed the petition] beg to differ and the number is increasing.”

Green Coun Geraldine Coggins countered suggestions from Coun Eckersley that there were 'safeguarding concerns' for school children, saying: “It’s been really reassuring that although people have concerns there is absolutely no evidence of any increase in crime or antisocial when people seeking asylum come to a hotel near you.”

Liberal Democrat group leader Coun Shaun Ennis said the crisis of asylum hotels was a problem 'entirely of the Conservative Party’s own making'. "For years their Government deliberately closed safe and legal routes and shut down vital resettlement programmes leaving people with no choice but to risk their lives on dangerous journeys," he said.

Meanwhile, Coun Evans defended his actions, saying: “I have had hundreds and hundreds of emails [in support of the petition][. All I have served to do is reflect questions offered to me by residents that were not being answered. This situation has been handled appallingly, by the Home Office, by this council and just across the board.”

Green leader Coun Michael Welton said as Altrincham ward councillors he and his colleagues had been listening to residents on the doorstep and speaking to businesses in the town centre. Coun Ross had opened up the council meeting with a statement over the Cresta Court situation.

He told colleagues: "We are working with partners to provide reassurance to local schools by helping them to deal with specific parental concerns. Trafford has a proud history of being a diverse and tolerant borough."