THE leader of Warrington Borough Council has blamed 'failed Home Office policy' and 'shoddy deals' for a decision which will see asylum seekers move into the Fir Grove Hotel.

As the Warrington Guardian revealed earlier this week, staff were told on Wednesday the hotel in Grappenhall would be closing at short notice.

Now it has been confirmed a group of asylum seekers will soon be arriving. It is understood they could arrive as soon as this weekend.

Council bosses have reacted angrily saying there has been no communication or engagement.

Last ditch attempts to fight the decision through the courts would also have been unsuccessful they say.

Warrington Borough Council Leader, Cllr Russ 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.

Warrington Guardian: Cllr Russ Bowden highlighted the importance of the move at the Town Hall

“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” dictat 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.”

Warrington Guardian: The Fir Grove in Grappenhall

Warrington South MP Andy Carter had written to home secretary Suella Braverman to object to the decision.

He said: "“I am very disappointed that Home Office Officials have failed to listen to feedback from myself and the Borough Council, the Fir Grove Hotel is not a suitable location and I’ve written to the Home Secretary to ask that she reviews this decision immediately.

“Warrington has welcomed families from Ukraine and Hong Kong in recent months which has put pressure on some of our local services, however I am really concerned that this is not an appropriate site for asylum seekers.” 

The Home Office says it cannot comment on individual cases but is determined to end the use of hotels as accomodation for refugees.