Residents of Northop Hall, a small village in Flintshire, north Wales, are protesting plans to house hundreds of asylum seekers in a local hotel, which could increase the village's population by over a quarter. The village currently has around 1,500 residents.
The proposals involve converting a disused hotel into accommodation for roughly 150 asylum seekers, with a further 250 to be housed in modular units on the hotel's grounds. The hotel's owner, Payman 3 Holdings, launched a public consultation last month ahead of submitting a full planning application to Flintshire Council.
Local residents argue that the village lacks the infrastructure to support such an influx. Tracy North, a resident, told i: 'We have one small corner shop. The post office closed a few years ago. There are no medical facilities, no GP or dentist or health centre.' She also noted that the local bus service is limited, with the last service from the nearest town leaving at 2.30pm and no buses on Sundays.
Fellow resident Catherine Owens said: 'It's not right for Flintshire. It's not right for Northop Hall. It's not right for refugees to be brought here when there's nothing here for them.' Local MP Rob Roberts has written to the Home Office asking it to agree not to use the hotel for asylum seekers, but has yet to receive a response. He warned of potential protests, saying there could be a 'lie down in front of the diggers moment' if the plans go ahead.
The plan comes despite the Government's promise to move away from housing asylum seekers in hotels. In March, the Home Office announced over 5,000 migrants would be housed in four new sites across the UK, including a barge and disused military sites. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain. We have been clear that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable.'
