Speculation that the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Rhoose will be used to house Afghans is deeply concerning. I’ve been contacted by several constituents about this, who are understandably and legitimately concerned. There have also been several reports on social media.
As an elected member representing the area, authorities have told me nothing about this. To the best of my knowledge, there has been no public statement issued by the Ministry of Defence. This is unacceptable. Speculation has been ongoing for several days, and an information vacuum has inevitably developed. I therefore wanted to take the opportunity to explain the actions I have undertaken to address this.
I have written to the MOD asking them to clarify the situation urgently.
To clarify my position, if speculation is correct, I would strongly and categorically oppose the hotel being used for suggested purpose. It is not suitable to provide accomodation of this nature.
The hotel was built to provide accomodation for airport passengers. As a result, the vast majority of guests would, in practice, stay at the hotel for a maximum of one night, either before or after their flight. As such, they would not access local NHS services, schools or other public services.
This would not be the case if the hotel is used in the manner suggested. By contrast, it would put huge pressure on local amenities and other public services. It is also situated close to a new college that is set to open.
If the reports are true, then the plans would have been developed without any consultation with residents. This too would be unacceptable. They should be afforded the opportunity to provide feedback, have their say and raise any concerns they may have.
When I receive further updates, I will update residents accordingly. Be assured I will always put the local community first.