More than 100 asylum seekers are being put up in a luxury hotel for nine weeks, costing taxpayers up to £300,000.
They have been booked into the Amblehurst hotel in Sale, which has rooms for up to £125 a night and has hosted parties for Manchester United. It boasts a fully-licensed bar, a barbeque and beer garden and conference facilities.
The decision was taken by officials acting for the Home Office and has been criticised as 'terrible value for taxpayers'.
Council leaders have reacted with anger at the way the situation has been handled. The group of 31 families will stay in the popular hotel for nine weeks while their claims to stay in the UK are considered.
They were checked in after the Conservative-run Trafford council in Greater Manchester was given only 48 hours’ notice before the asylum seekers arrived.
This week, the council held an emergency meeting about the move, which was organised by SERCO, the private company appointed by the Government to deal with accommodation for asylum seekers.
The group had previously been staying in Liverpool, but had to be moved.
Mr Colledge said he was sympathetic to the plight of asylum seekers but expressed concern over the strain that could be put on Trafford’s services.
He said: ‘I recognise that some asylum seekers are escaping from appalling situations and that may include the children arriving in Trafford.
'However, with schools and GP surgeries full in the Sale area, I question the logic of choosing this location.’
David Acton, leader of Trafford’s Labour group, said: ‘This is an appalling situation. It seems to me that SERCO, who are a private company appointed by the Government to deal with Asylum Seekers, are incompetent.
‘The Government is wrong to expect any local Authority to try to deal with a situation like this where 104 Asylum Seekers are sent to an area, without prior notice, and have not had any time to be prepared to receive them. It is an absolute shambles and unacceptable.’
He added: ‘Our main concern was that they were allocated to Trafford without any sort of pre-warning and it had not been disclosed.
‘I do understand that there is a high percentage of mothers with children. If that is the case you have got to think about all sorts of things like schooling.
'The other thing is how long will they be in Trafford and how they will get rehoused is unclear.
‘I have not known this to happen in Trafford before. Understandably, they are fleeing very difficult situations like war zones and move in these cases very quickly and have to be temporary housed and put in accommodation like hotels.'
He accused the Government of failing to properly inform the local authority about the influx of asylum seekers, which meant they were unable to plan properly for how they should be housed.
'We had not been given any information or been through any preplanning of how to deal with a situation like this. We were taken by surprise and the Chief Executive is discussing with the Immigration Services.
‘If we had been we would have had discussions with the Immigration Services as to what levels of service we need to provide and whether they would be housed in a permanent house.
'We have been left in the dark as councillors. We are the elective representatives we feel we should have been better informed by the Immigration Services and Government.
Local man Ian Fanshawe, 49, said: ‘Sale is a nice quiet place, the hotel is fancy and must be costing a bit. It used to hold Manchester United parties there after the matches.
‘I wouldn’t mind being put up there for free for nine weeks in a famous hotel.’
Matthew Sinclair, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘Spending money on hotels like this is terrible value for taxpayers’ money.
‘Expecting a council to house a hundred asylum seekers at short notice appears to demonstrate a lack of planning. It’s vital the authorities ensure that more affordable accommodation is found and fast to ensure more money is not wasted on this expensive quick fix.’
A spokesman for SERCO said: ‘We are currently using the Amblehurst Hotel to temporarily accommodate a number of Asylum Seekers who were previously being looked after in Liverpool.
‘In due course these people will be found further housing throughout the North West of England pending the outcome of the Home office review into their eligibility to claim asylum.
They added: ‘At all times we work closely with the local authorities, the Home Office and local services including the Police, Health and Education bodies to carefully manage the safe and appropriate accommodation of asylum seekers in our care.’
A Home Office spokesman said: 'There is no extra cost to the Home Office or the tax payer as this accommodation is being provided by our housing supplier at the rates agreed under the contracts.
'We have a duty of care to accommodate and support those seeking asylum and suppliers have agreed contingency plans in place while longer term accommodation is found.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2519280/Dozens-asylum-seekers-luxury-hotel-NINE-WEEKS--costing-taxpayer-300-000.html#ixzz2miotRj3d
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