Extraordinary meeting called for councillors to debate use of three West Northamptonshire hotels as asylum accommodation

Councillors will debate the use of the Ibis Hotel, Crick, the Holiday Inn, Flore, and the MK Hotel, Deanshanger – commissioned by the Home Office – at the meeting, which will take place next month.

Leader of the opposition, Councillor Daniel Lister, proposed the motion for the meeting, following the High Court judgement that granted Epping Forest District Council an injunction to prevent the inappropriate use of a hotel in its district as an asylum seeker centre.

Cllr Lister’s motion for the meeting is to instruct legal counsel to represent West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) in seeking an interim injunction against the owners of the three hotels currently in use as asylum accommodation. The council had already started worked gathering evidence to see if there is a robust legal case in West Northamptonshire, but wanted to make sure the application for an injunction would be successful, before going ahead, due to the cost to taxpayers.

Cllr Lister, Leader of the Conservative Group, said: "Residents across West Northamptonshire are right to be concerned about the Ibis Hotel in Crick, the Holiday Inn in Flore, and the MK Hotel in Deanshanger being used as asylum hotels.

"These sites are unsuitable and place unnecessary strain on local services. Conservatives have always opposed the local use of hotels for asylum accommodation, and we acted decisively in 2023 to halt the plan at Creaton.

"We are taking the same approach now, working closely with our Conservative MPs for Daventry and South Northamptonshire to ensure residents’ voices are heard and their interests protected."

The motion for the extraordinary meeting was accepted under the rules of the Council’s Constitution, having been seconded and then supported by a further five councillors.

The meeting, which can only debate the proposed motion by Cllr Lister, will take place in Northampton’s Guildhall on Tuesday September 16 at 5pm.

Councillor Mark Arnull, Leader of the council said: “We fully understand the concerns of our residents and fellow councillors about the use of these hotels as asylum accommodation and our council had already started the work to see if it has a robust legal case like Epping’s.

"It is important to remember that previous actions to seek an injunction on the basis of planning breaches have, until now, not been successful and legal action is very costly to our taxpayers. It would therefore be irresponsible for the council to apply to the court to seek an injunction without knowing first we have the evidence for a successful outcome.

“I welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues publicly with fellow members in the council chamber.”

A full council meeting is also scheduled to take place on September 25.

Concerns have also been raised in recent weeks by communities in West Northamptonshire about the use of hotels for asylum seekers.

Crick Parish Council issued a statement earlier this month saying it was “extremely concerned about recent incidents” involving the Ibis hotel at Crick.