November 29, 2022 5.00 pm This story is over 22 months old

Council eyes legal action over Skegness asylum seeker hotels

There are fears for the town’s tourism industry

East Lindsey District Council is keeping a close eye on court battles to stop the government putting asylum seekers in Skegness hotels.

Around 200 migrants have been placed in five hotels in Skegness, which has proved extremely controversial.

A heated public meeting last Friday heard residents’ concerns about how the seaside resort could be permanently damaged.

Now another coastal council has won a temporary injunction to protect their tourism industry, and ELDC say they are watching it closely.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council was awarded a temporary ban on more hotels being used as hostels last week, meaning the Home Office couldn’t house unprocessed asylum seekers there.

It doesn’t affect those already at the resort, and a final decision will be made by the High Court next month.

A spokesperson from East Lindsey District Council said: “We have been very aware of the various court injunctions that have been in process and we are monitoring their progress.

“In the meantime we are taking advice about any future possible action we might take.”

MP Matt Warman said the government was putting an unfair burden on Skegness | Photo: LDRS/Lincolnite

Frustrated Skegness residents at last week’s meeting urged the council to take legal action to protect the town’s tourism industry.

Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness, said it was pointless until there was a “test case” in which a local authority prevailed.

“The risk is we spend hundreds of thousands more of taxpayers money, and still lose,” he warned.

Hoteliers claimed that holidaymakers were already cancelling bookings for next year due to the controversy.

One owner said he had turned down £500,000 of government money to use his hotel as a hostel.

Council leader Councillor Craig Leyland said he wanted the use of hotels to be as brief as possible.

“We don’t want our aspirations for Skegness undermined by the long term use of the hotels. We need assurance that they will quickly return Skegness to its former glory,” he said.

Great Yarmouth will hear on December 20 whether its application has been successful, potentially opening the door for other councils to follow.


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