The government gave Stevenage Borough Council 24 hours' notice before moving asylum seekers into a town centre hotel, a meeting has heard.

Speaking at the council's executive committee meeting on Wednesday, December 7, leader Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab, Symonds Green) told her colleagues the Home Office informed the council of their plans on Saturday, December 3.

The baroness said the local authority recognises it has a "shared obligation" to house people who are fleeing "horrible situations" in other part of the world, but added the Home Office did not leave enough time for the council and its partners to ensure the safety of migrants or the community.

A total 178 asylum seekers are being housed in the town centre location, which is near the Westgate Shopping Centre, in addition to the 183 asylum seekers at a hotel off the A1(M).

A Home Office spokesperson said the asylum system is under "incredible strain" and added they cannot comment on operational arrangements for individual sites – including hotels – used for accommodation.

Baroness Taylor said: "Officers and I do not believe the use of [the hotel] is acceptable, neither do members and I'm sure our community doesn't either.

"We are concerned it will present very stark challenges for the public-sector providers, for local communities and for those accommodated.

"We are already seeing very stretched public services like education, health and social care being placed under more strain due to the increasing use by the Home Offices of contingency hotels within our county and all over the country."

Baroness Taylor said there had been no time to arrange appropriate health screening and safety measures, and that the decision threatens to undo "three to four decades" of work to promote community cohesion.

She added: "We recognise the importance of a safe environment, provision of services and support, and efforts to settle and integrate those who have a right to remain."

Baroness Taylor said the Home Office had pledged to use the hotel for a period of almost two weeks – until December 16.

She added the Home Office and the hotel signed a spot-booking agreement in mid-November but failed to notify any members of parliament, councillor or council officer.

Baroness Taylor said: "The inappropriate use of hotels has become the only option to the government because of their complete chaotic failure to address this issue in previous years – even in recent times when they've known that the number of asylum seekers was accelerating – a lack of long-term planning to move asylum seekers into long-term accommodation, and a complete failure in managing the application process."

A House of Commons report published on Monday (December 5) shows the UK government received 52,525 asylum applications in the year to September 2022.

The all-time peak is recorded at 84,132 applications in 2002, with a twenty-year low point recorded in 2010 (17,916) before rising again to reach 35,737 in 2019 and 50,042 in 2021.

Cllr Jeannette Thomas (Lab, Pin Green), executive member for housing and housing development at Stevenage Borough Council, said that among other issues, the hotel which the Home Office is using is a long way from green spaces.

Cllr Thomas said: "[The hotel] is completely inappropriate for any children who might be sent there.

"The nearest green space is the small bit which we've created at our 'Event Island'.

"Other than that, they have got to walk quite a distance for little legs to get to a green space, and we all know how important green space is to mental health – especially for people in their situation."

Cross-party councillors are due to get the chance to debate the situation at a full council meeting on Wednesday, December 14.

A Home Office spokesperson said there are currently more than 37,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £5.6million each day.

They said: "The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

"The use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable.

"The use of hotels is a temporary solution, and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation."