'No rules broken over asylum hotel', says council

An investigation into whether a Worcester hotel breached planning laws by housing asylum seekers has concluded that no rules were broken.

Worcester City Council said its planning enforcement investigation found "that a material change of use has not occurred", and the case has been closed.

It follows a complaint from Reform councillor Alan Amos, who asked the authority to launch the probe.

Amos has criticised the decision as "entirely predictable" and hit out at the 10-month wait for an answer.

Three people were arrested last year during a protest against the hotel being used to house asylum seekers, in scenes which also attracted a counter-protest.

Amos had suggested the hotel should have applied for planning permission, which led to the council's enforcement team stepping in.

A city council spokesperson said: "We can confirm that a planning enforcement investigation into the use of the Fownes Hotel has now been concluded.

"It found that a material change of use has not occurred, and as such there is no breach of planning control."

The investigation found there had been no physical changes to the building, and stated there was no 'significant impact' on the area.

Worcester's Liberal Democrats have backed the decision, and suggested it was a waste of time and money.

Lib Dem councillor Jessie Jagger said: "Unfortunately, Reform sought to present this as a straightforward planning issue when the evidence simply did not support that claim.

"The investigation found no planning breach, no significant increase in anti-social behaviour, and no significant impact on the local area.

"Yet considerable officer time and public resources were spent investigating claims that ultimately led nowhere."

Amos said: "This is a subjective decision from a planning officer, and was entirely predictable given that this so-called enquiry has taken an extraordinary 10 months, including four months to assess the answers provided by the hotel owners in February."

He also said the use of the hotel for asylum seekers has "caused considerable social unrest".

"The main entrance is locked and there is a security presence which has never happened at this hotel before, and is not part of any definition of a hotel," he added.

The BBC has approached the Fownes Hotel for comment.

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