A controversial decision by the Home Office to house asylum seekers in the Palms Hotel site in Hornchurch has been reversed after M.P. for Romford Andrew Rosindell wrote to Home Secretary Priti Patel describing it as a "completely unsuitable building in which to house asylum seekers."
Mr Rosindell's letter came after a similar letter from Leader of Havering Council, Cllr. Damian White, which criticised the decision in similar terms.
The two leading Romford politicians outlined to the Home Secretary the reasons for the location's unsuitability. In his letter Mr Rosindell writes: "The Palms Hotel has been unoccupied for years. It is on a busy dual carriageway with no open outdoor green spaces. Furthermore, it lacks easy access to basic facilities such as shops and pharmacies."
Andrew Rosindell M.P. said:
"I am relieved to see that, once again, a decision to house asylum seekers in the Palms Hotel in Hornchurch has been shelved.
By working with the Conservative Leader of the Council, we were able to quickly put a stop to this patently wrong decision, demonstrating the effectiveness of Conservatives in positions of power - whether that's in Parliament or in City Hall.
This would have been bad for the people of Havering, but it would also have been bad for the asylum seekers who the Government is supposed to be protecting. The Government must now make clear that it will not return to this decision again."
The letter from Andrew to the Home Secretary can be read in full here.
