Concerns raised over hotel near Halifax being used by Calderdale Council to house homeless people

Resident Oliver Sheard was speaking at a meeting of the council about the Old Golf House Hotel at Outlane.

He said there were concerns including policing, safeguarding, the financial cost to the public, a lack of specialised and non-specialised facilities, no functioning kitchen and poor transport links.

In the meeting’s questions-to-Cabinet section, he said: “The hotel had already been rejected due to issues and concerns in 2021 by the Home Office and Mears (group) for accommodating asylum seekers – why is Calderdale Council still using the hotel when there are issues and concerns?”

Cabinet member for Climate Action, Active Travel and Housing, Coun Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said the council’s homelessness service used a small number of the hotel’s 51 rooms and aimed to reduce that number in coming weeks,.

Decisions on accommodation use was made on a case-by-case basis, informed by the authority’s statutory duties and the needs of those who needed housing, he explained.

“Police colleagues have confirmed that they have no evidence of any increase in crime in the area. If there are issues that have a negative impact on residents, these should be reported to the relevant authorities, who will be able to investigate and follow-up any concerns,” he said.

In this case, the hotel is in Kirklees, and although it was not currently in a position to do so because of increased demand, the council is committed to finding alternative solutions within Calderdale, said Coun Patient.

In terms of those placed there, each person housed was risk-assessed and provided with a support worker until they are rehoused and any safeguarding issues would be responded to, he added.

There was no requirement for provision of food for residents although a breakfast – toast, cereal, fruit and the like – was provided and nearby food banks also delivered packages.

“Wherever possible we do prioritise finding temporary accommodation within the borough,” said Coun Patient.

If you have a story to share or an event you think we should cover, you can contact the Courier news team at [email protected].