Title

PLANNING

Council threatens action against hotel with asylum seekers

Great Yarmouth BC is taking enforcement action after the Home Office placed asylum seekers in a local hotel.

Great Yarmouth BC is taking enforcement action after the Home Office placed asylum seekers in a local hotel.

The council said that it had ‘serious concerns' about the suitability of the accommodation and claimed the hotel needed permission for the change of use.

Great Yarmouth also said there had been a ‘lack of dialogue' with either the hotel or the Home Office.

A council spokesperson said: ‘We have serious concerns about the suitability of this accommodation for asylum seekers and the hotel should have applied for the correct planning permission before any asylum seekers were housed.

'No application for change of use has been received to date and the council will pursue appropriate enforcement action where necessary.

‘We are therefore opposed to the way this situation has arisen and the lack of dialogue with ourselves and other stakeholders in the town.

'We have clearly communicated our views and concerns to both the hotel owner and the Home Office.

‘We are also concerned about placing further strain on core services in an already highly-populated and prime tourist area.'

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We are dealing with an unprecedented increase in asylum cases but despite this we continue to ensure that the accommodation provided is safe, secure and leaves no one destitute.

'The Home Office does not comment on operational arrangements for individual hotels.'

PLANNING

Review finds council failures ahead of Sara Sharif murder

By William Eichler | 14 November 2025

Children’s services in Surrey failed to identify abuse suffered by 10-year-old Sara Sharif before her murder, a safeguarding practice review has found.

PLANNING

Avoiding SEND collapse

By Cllr Bill Revans | 14 November 2025

A new report makes it clear that if the Government does not take decisive action to reform SEND, the entire system faces total collapse by the end of this Pa...

PLANNING

Council starts legal action over fair funding

By Dan Peters | 13 November 2025

Richmond upon Thames LBC has started the process for legal action against the Government’s proposed fair funding reforms.

PLANNING

Failures continue at Grenfell council, peers find

By Joe Lepper | 11 November 2025

Housing challenges are continuing at the council at the centre of the Grenfell tragedy, a Local Government Association (LGA) peer review has warned.

Popular articles by William Eichler