Antrim and Newtownabbey Council has launched a planning enforcement investigation into the Chimney Corner Hotel in Co Antrim, which is being used to accommodate asylum seekers.
The move follows a recent High Court ruling in England that blocked the use of the Bell Hotel in Essex for asylum housing without planning approval, requiring current residents to leave by September 12.
DUP MLA Trevor Clarke welcomed the investigation, saying hotels cannot be used to house asylum seekers without a formal “change of use” planning application.. He stressed that “no-one is above the law, not even Government departments.” DUP councillors elsewhere in Northern Ireland are also calling for similar probes.
Amnesty International warned against further disruption for asylum seekers, saying hotels are unsuitable but stressing that people must be treated with dignity. Patrick Corrigan, the group’s Northern Ireland director, urged government investment in appropriate housing and quicker asylum decisions so people are not left in limbo.
