Stradey Park: Camarthenshire Council take hotel owners to High Court over asylum seeker plan

Carmarthenshire County Council has argued that planning permission has not been granted to change the status of the hotel. Credit: PA Images

A council is taking the owners of Llanelli's Stradey Park Hotel to the High Court over plans to house more than 200 asylum seekers there.

Carmarthenshire County Council is arguing that planning permission has not been granted to change the status of the hotel.

It has been reported the Home Office plans to house 241 asylum seekers in 76 rooms at the hotel with no future bookings allowed from today, Friday 7 July.

It is also understood that nearly 100 workers at the hotel were told recently they will be losing their jobs.

Staff at the hotel are claimed to have been called to meetings on Tuesday 27 June to be told they would be made redundant from 10 July.

Llanelli MP, Dame Nia Griffith, branded the news as "outrageous" and "shoddy".

It is understood that 50 full-time and 45 part-time staff are affected.

Cllr. Darren Price, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council said it has "commenced legal proceedings against Gryphon Leisure Limited, Sterling Woodrow Limited, Clearsprings Ready Homes Limited, Robert Horwood and Gareth Street regarding the material change of use without planning permission of the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli.

"The case has been listed for a hearing on 7 July at the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London.

"The Council is unable to make further comment at this time due to the need to respect the legal process that is underway.”

In a statement the Home Office 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 – there are currently more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £6 million a day.

“The Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer.”  

ITV News has approached the hotel owners for comment.

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