A hotel will no longer be used to house asylum seekers as its new owners reveal plans to restore it as a “welcoming, family-friendly venue”.
The Home Office has announced it will be closing its operations at The Granby in Northfleet as it scales up the use of former Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites.
The news comes as the government confirms 20 more asylum hotel closures across England today (June 25) as part of its drive to end the use of all hotels by the end of this parliament.
In 2023, The Granby was closed to residents and holidaymakers to be used for people who were stuck in the growing asylum backlog, despite Gravesham council’s concerns over extremist views and tensions in the community.
Speaking at the time, the leader of the local authority, Cllr John Burden, said: “As a council, we cannot condone or support the use of The Granby and remain frustrated with the lack of answers around realistic concerns and challenges that have been highlighted.
“The risks to local services, our community and the asylum seekers being placed in the hotel are too great to ignore, and therefore we remain in a firm position of believing that this facility is not suitable for accommodating asylum seekers.”
Around 70 people were moved into the hotel in The Hill on February 21, 2023, after long-term residents were told they would need to find new accommodation.
However, it has now been revealed that the Home Office has moved the people out of the hotel, and it has been handed back to the community to return to its usual business.
The new owners of the venue have since been posting online about their plans to restore it as a “welcoming, family-friendly venue at the heart of the community”.
The statement added: “Our vision extends far beyond providing rooms. We want to create a place that local people can once again be proud of.
“We chose to invest in it, refurbish it, and give it a new lease of life because we believe it still has an important role to play in Northfleet.
“We genuinely want to see this historic hotel succeed and become a positive part of the community once again.”
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said: “We promised to close every asylum hotel and hand them back to communities. That is exactly what we are doing here in the South East of England.
“Twenty more hotels are now closed across England, hotel numbers have more than halved since their peak, and we are moving people into large, basic sites that are a far cry from the hotels the last government left us with.
“This is a system being brought back under control – and we will not stop until the job is done.”
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that the Holiday Inn Ashford Central had been emptied and those staying there had been relocated.
Today’s announcement is the second phase of hotel closures after 11 were closed in April, as the Home Office scaled up its use of large, basic accommodation for asylum seekers.
Discussions are underway to use three new former MoD sites, with planning permission being sought at MoD Bicester, in Oxfordshire, MoD Barnham, in Suffolk, and MoD Linton-on-Ouse, in North Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, the government also intends to progress plans to extend the use of existing sites, including Crowborough in East Sussex, until 2030 and Wethersfield in Essex beyond 2027.
