North Northamptonshire Council leader tells Suella Braverman it would be 'reckless' to proceed with Royal Hotel plan

A council leader has warned the Home Secretary he’s worried a decision to place asylum seekers at a Kettering hotel will result in someone getting seriously hurt.

Cllr Jason Smithers, leader of North Northamptonshire Council (NNC), wrote to Suella Braverman and immigration minister Robert Jenrick on November 17 over the Home Office plan to use the historic Royal Hotel.

In a letter, seen by the Northants Telegraph, he outlined a series of concerns from councillors, police and NHS staff.

He said there’s been a rise in crime in the town centre, warning that asylum seekers could be taken advantage of, and said it would be ‘reckless’ to proceed without addressing their concerns.

Cllr Smithers said: "The police have been keen to point out that there has recently been an increase in youth-related offences in the town centre location. The offenders tend to target vulnerable members of the community.

"We are concerned that those placed it the hotel could be taken advantage of in a way that could place them at high risk of harm.

"I am really worried that the decision taken by the Home Office will result in someone getting seriously hurt.

"We know our local area. We know our local facilities. We know our local issues. Putting it frankly, I feel it would be reckless to proceed without taking the time to understand and work with us to address our concerns.”

Kettering’s sole Labour NNC representative, Cllr Anne Lee, said other councillors have not been consulted over the authority’s actions.

And Cllr Jim Hakewill (Ind) said: "I was quite astonished at the tone of the letter and the assumption that the council as a whole shared the views of the leader.

"As far as I am aware no other councillors (from other parties) were briefed or included in any discussions over this potential arrival of asylum seekers in Kettering.”

Earlier this month – on the day asylum seekers were due to move to the hotel – NNC applied for an interim injunction in a bid to stop the proposal.

Days later their application was dismissed by the High Court but because they also issued a temporary stop notice asylum seekers cannot be moved there without the hotel risking prosecution. It is not yet known what will happen when the notice expires in December.

Kettering MP Philip Hollobone raised his concerns in the House of Commons this week.

In his letter Cllr Smithers said NNC was continuing to consider available legal options. He said the council understood that the Government has to find somewhere warm and safe for asylum seekers to stay but that they are concerned that the Royal Hotel offered a ‘compromised solution’ – concerns exacerbated by a lack of confirmation of the nature of the people to be housed there. SERCO would provide 24/7 security.

Cllr Smithers also raised concerns about the wider spread of diseases, groups congregating in Market Place, limited access to hot meals and there being no facilities in rooms to store chilled food.

He told the Home Secretary and immigration minister: "If you do proceed, I really hope I do not have to write to you again as the concerns raised have come to fruition.”

The Home Office has said they don’t comment on operational arrangements.