PLANS to relocate asylum seekers who are currently staying at a rural hotel in Wiltshire have been announced.
Home Secretary James Cleverly announced this week that The Wiltshire Hotel - which is located outside of Royal Wootton Bassett just off the A3102 - will no longer be used as contingency spot-booking hotel after April.
Asylum seekers have been able to stay at the hotel for up to a maximum of 90 days before being moved to accommodation elsewhere in the country.
The hotel is part of a leisure complex which includes a retirement village and some residents raised concerns about this to ITV West Country in July.
Some claimed that the site was unsuitable for asylum seekers because of its location and lack of facilities.
It is understood that asylum seekers currently living at the hotel will be moved to alternative Home Office accommodation such as large disused military sites or the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset.
Conservative MP for North Wiltshire James Gray welcomed the Home Secretary's decision to cease The Wiltshire Hotel's asylum accommodation role at Prime Minister's Questions in The House of Commons today, Wednesday, January 17.
Mr Gray said: "Would my right honourable friend the Prime Minister agree with me that a remote rural hotel is just the wrong place to house asylum seekers and refugees from their point of view.
"And will you therefore join me in thanking the Home Secretary for announcing yesterday that The Wiltshire Hotel outside Royal Wootton Bassett is in fact to be returned back to its proper purpose in April."
In response, PM Rishi Sunak said: "I thank my honourable friend for the question.
"He is absolutely right, the use of hotels is unfair and also it is unfair on local communities.
"It also costs tax payers eight million pounds a day and that is why our plans to reduce the number of people coming has meant that we can close the first 50 hotels across the country, with more to follow."
In a statement to the Standard Mr Gray added: “Following months of representations on behalf of my constituents the Home Office has announced today that they are to cease using the Wiltshire Hotel as asylum accommodation by the end of April.
"I know that like me many constituents will welcome this news.”
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