Businesses near to Hanley's latest asylum hotel urge the Home Office to rethink

Businesses within walking distance to Stoke-on-Trent's second asylum hotel are calling for an immediate U-turn on the proposals.

The Best Western City Centre Hotel in Hanley is the latest venue being repurposed to house those seeking refuge with all 130+ rooms being booked up by the Home Office.

It comes just a couple of weeks after the Home Office announced it would be doing the same with the North Stafford Hotel opposite Stoke-on-Trent railway station.

A shop owner a few minutes walk from the Best Western City Centre Hotel has spoken to us anonymously:

"Yes, I am absolutely horrified. People are saying they will not come here!

"When you consider the state of Hanley as it is now from what it used to be, and I started working in Hanley in 1954 when it was a vibrant city, and now it is really so dreadful. In fact, we've just had two customers in here that said we haven't been back here since before COVID!

"The government needs to think very hard about what they are doing to the city"

"Infact, part of our job now is to go out and actually see the customers, we're having to do that - rather than have them treck in to the shop.

"So without question it should certainly be stopped. And the government should have second thoughts about this ridiculous decision - because it ruins the whole levelling up idea for this city!

"I'm right behind Abi Brown and the City Council in them trying to stop it. But of course, they failed with the North Stafford and the injunction." said the shop owner.

"We just don't know yet the damage on this business because we don't know how the general public would feel towards coming to Hanley after this, and if anymore people stop coming to Hanley . You might as well turn out our lights."

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