Banbury House Hotel asylum seekers to be moved to large site or dispersed accommodation
10/12/2025
The move should save money for the taxpayer and is more manageable for communities
The Banbury House Hotel will cease being used as asylum seeker accommodation before the end of February 2026. Notice has been given to the owner. Residents currently staying there will be moved by the Home Office to other parts of the asylum estate.
Cherwell District Council says it has been made aware of the plans.
The Home Office told Banbury FM those still awaiting decisions on their asylum applications would be placed in large site accommodation (such as military bases), other hotels or dispersed accommodation, which may or may not be within the Cherwell District. Their contractor, Clearsprings Ready Homes, was responsible for locating suitable accommodation in Oxfordshire.
Those granted asylum would have 28-days to find suitable accommodation and could at this stage apply to the local authority to assist them.
Banbury’s MP, Sean Woodcock, has welcomed the move, noting it will save money for the taxpayer and is more manageable for communities.
Asylum seekers will be notified as early as possible and be given a minimum of 5 days notice before relocation.
Mr Woodcock said: “I am pleased that the hotel in Banbury will cease to house asylum seekers, as the Government’s commitments to reduce the costs of accommodation for asylum seekers is being seen in our local area.
“Whilst asylum claims are being processed, there is a legal duty to provide suitable accommodation if individuals would otherwise be left without somewhere to live, and it is right that this will continue.
“I am proud that the UK has been a place of safety for people fleeing war and persecution. However, the current system is broken and the placing of claimants in hotels has a number of issues. They’re not suitable for claimants as long term accommodation, and it causes a significant strain on the public finances.
“Reducing the burden on taxpayers in our community by relocating individuals and families to cheaper alternative accommodation marks a positive step forward in ending the excessive asylum spending and major strain in the system left behind by the previous government.”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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