The Cresta Court Hotel in Altrincham has closed suddenly and will not reopen to the public for 12 months. This has caused confusion and concern in the local area. All bookings and events, including weddings and parties, have been cancelled without notice.
It has now been confirmed that the hotel is closing so it can house asylum seekers. A deal was made between the hotel’s owner, Vine Hotels, and Serco, a company that works with the Home Office to provide accommodation for people seeking asylum in the UK.
Trafford Council was not part of the decision and had no control over it. The council was informed by the Home Office only after the agreement was made.
The hotel has 148 bedrooms, and it is expected that most will be shared by two people. This means around 300 asylum seekers could be living there during the year it is closed to the public.
There are also concerns about the jobs of hotel staff. The owner of the hotel, Vine Hotels, has not yet released a statement about what will happen to employees. Vine Hotels is owned by Greg Dyke, who is a former director general of the BBC and a former chairman of the Football Association. Other hotels in his group have also been used to house asylum seekers in the past.
Connor Rand, the Member of Parliament for Altrincham and Sale West, said he has written to the government to ask for asylum claims to be processed more quickly. He said that although the area is known for being welcoming and diverse, he understands some people will be worried about this change.
He also explained that the reason this is happening is because of a huge backlog of asylum cases. The number of people waiting for a decision has grown from 19,000 to nearly 119,000 over the last 14 years. He said that the government is working to clear this backlog by hiring more staff, but it will take time. Until then, hotels like Cresta Court will continue to be used.
Michael Welton, a local councillor for Altrincham and leader of the Trafford Green Party, said the news came as a surprise. He had only heard rumours a few days before the closure was confirmed. He said it is important to make sure that both the asylum seekers and local residents get the support they need.
He also said that asylum seekers should not be living in hotels for long periods. He wants the government to allow people to work while they are waiting for their asylum claims to be processed. Councillor Welton will be meeting with MP Connor Rand to discuss the issue further.
Trafford Council said that it has been informed by the Home Office about the decision. A spokesperson said that the council will help provide healthcare and make sure the new residents are safe. However, the decision to use the hotel in this way was made by the Home Office and Serco, not the council.
This is the second hotel in the Altrincham area to be used for this purpose. In February 2023, the Britannia Ashley Hotel also closed to the public and has been used to house over 100 migrants. Many of them are still living there nearly two years later.
In summary, the Cresta Court Hotel will now be home to asylum seekers for 12 months. The decision has raised questions about local services, jobs, and how long the UK asylum backlog will take to fix. Local leaders are asking for faster decisions and more support for the community during this time.
Would you like a version of this article formatted for WordPress or another publishing platform?
https://todaynews.ca/
Leave a Reply