Asylum seekers hotel plan is ‘recipe for disaster’ for Whitehaven claims councillor

A Whitehaven councillor fears townsfolk will be left to ‘pick up the pieces’ as asylum seekers are set to move into a former hotel.

Edwin Dinsdale said plans to use the former Waverley Hotel on Tangier Street as a home for asylum seekers was putting vulnerable people in an unsafe situation.

He said the latest figures available from streetscan.co.uk, based on Home Office and police data, said 540 crimes were reported near the street in 2019, with the most common being violent and sexual offences.

He added: “I shared with the town council my concerns about the asylum seekers running the risk of being exploited, due to the fact that they are vulnerable adults who have very little concept of the UK never mind Whitehaven.

“The question must be asked why is the Government housing asylum seekers in an area with such a high crime rate? The Home Office is ‘Priti’ vacant when it comes to dealing with asylum seekers, refugees and immigration. These very vulnerable people are not coming for a holiday in the sun. I believe the asylum seekers are being set up to fail.

“Whitehaven as a town and community have been left with what can only be described as a recipe for disaster. The potential outcome could be catastrophic for 34 asylum seekers and the community of Whitehaven who will be left to pick up the pieces.”

The hotel was recently sold to a private owner, who has been in talks with the Home Office. Copeland Council has not been involved in the deal, it said, and was not notified that the plans were in place.

A joint statement from Copeland mayor Mike Starkie and the area’s MP Trudy Harrison added that the authority was not being paid to welcome asylum seekers to the area.

Mr Dinsdale added: “I believe if the Home Office had consulted with key stakeholders like Cumbria Constabulary and local councils it would have flushed out the crime problem within Tangier Street.”

Conservative councillors Brian O’Kane and Graham Roberts said there were concerns about the location of the hotel and the lack of local government involvement in the move.

Mrs Harrison recently confirmed that while the Home Office worked on reducing the reliance on hotels in the long term, accommodation must be provided on a temporary basis to comply with both the council and Home Office’s statutory duties.

She added: “I am further informed that the Home Office is working with Copeland Borough Council and Cumbria County Council to address any concerns that arise regarding the use of the hotel for this purpose.”