No tourism beds lost at asylum hotel

A NEWQUAY councillor has said that a hotel being used to house refugees in the town would normally be closed at this time of year so it will have no impact on tourism beds in the town.

Louis Gardner, Cornwall councillor for Newquay Central and Pentire, said he had spoken to staff at the hotel and local police officers after it was revealed that the venue in his area is being used by the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers.

The Conservative councillor said he had not been given prior warning that the hotel was going to be used by the Home Office but this was because the hotel is part of a national chain and the deal to secure rooms for use had been done with the parent company. He said he was seeking assurances that the arrangement would not continue into the tourism season.

He was also asking for more information about where those housed in the hotel might go if their asylum applications were successful, given there is a housing crisis in Cornwall.