Asylum seeker plans for Stradey Park Hotel in doubt following fire safety inspection

Emily Price

Home Office plans to house asylum seekers at the Stradey Park Hotel are in doubt following a fire safety inspection of the building.

In a statement released today, Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service said following information received on a change of use at the hotel and spa in Llanelli, fire safety officers undertook an inspection at the premises.

As a result of the inspection, the hotel’s owners have been issued with a prohibition notice preventing the premises from being used for sleeping accommodation.

The statement from Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service said: “This is mainly due to insufficient fire separation between certain areas of the ground floor, as well as insufficient means of detecting and giving warning of a fire.

“Additionally, the ground, first, second and third floors of the premises must not be used other than persons carrying out remedial works.

“This Prohibition Notice will remain in place until such time that it is lifted by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, or the responsible persons make a formal appeal.”

Carmarthenshire County Council were approached for a comment and a spokesperson said as it’s the Home Office’s plan to house asylum seekers at the hotel, it’s for them to respond.

A Home Office spokesperson said:“We are aware that Stradey Park has been issued with a prohibition notice and are working with the owners on the next steps. 

“We are working hard to reduce the unacceptable use of hotels by moving asylum seekers into alternative, cheaper accommodation, doubling them up in hotel rooms, and clearing the legacy backlog.”

Nation.Cymru has approached Lee Waters, MS for Llanelli for comment but he did not respond.

Protesters

Earlier this week, motorcyclists and protesters on foot, including one dressed as a traffic cone, occupied the grounds of the hotel

Footage on social media showed dozens of people in the hotel’s main car park and at the top of the steps outside its reception area on October 1 following a protest motorcade in the town.

Several Dyfed-Powys Police officers were at the scene at the time, and later that evening put out a fire on a ground floor stairwell at the hotel.

Fire fighters arrived afterwards, checked the area, and left two hours later.

The controversial proposals for the four-star spa hotel were first revealed in May with asylum seekers rumoured to start arriving from early July.

However, protests began and legal bids to stop the plans which were submitted by Carmarthenshire Council.

Although the legal action was unsuccessful, no asylum seekers have arrived yet and almost 100 jobs have been lost as a result of the hotel closing before it was effectively taken over on the ground by Clearsprings Ready Homes.

Locals living in the Furnace area have expressed concerns over the planned use of the hotel, arguing that the community was too small for a large number of asylum seekers, but some have also expressed for the asylum seekers’ plight.