Newmarket hotelier refuses to turn town centre Heath Court Hotel into accommodation for asylum seekers

A Newmarket hotelier has told how he refused to turn the town centre hotel he runs into accommodation for asylum seekers.

Town councillor Robert Nobbs, who manages the Heath Court Hotel in Moulton Road, said he blocked the move to house asylum seekers in its 43 rooms although he was offered full rates on an on-going basis, guaranteeing profits for the business at a time when the hospitality industry, both locally and nationally, was struggling.

“I was appalled,” said Mr Nobbs.

“It would have been a betrayal of our staff, our customers and our whole community,” he said.

“We would have had to lay off our staff, deny local residents a great place to come for a drink or for an event and of course, we would have been taking risks with public safety.

“I didn’t give the suggestion much thought at all. I knew I had to say no.

“Newmarket already faces huge challenges. We do not need the risk and division that asylum hotels bring to communities, as has been shown in Epping and Diss recently.”

Mr Nobbs also called for more transparency over policies to house asylum seekers.

He is standing as the Conservative candidate in today’s by-election to fill the Newmarket East ward seat on West Suffolk Council left vacant by the resignation of Labour councillor Sue Perry.

The other candidates standing are Labour’s Graham Creelman; Danny Kent who is representing the Green Party; Caroline Revitt for the Liberal Democrats and Adrian Whittle who is fighting the seat for Reform UK.

Sue Perry also resigned her seat on Newmarket Town Council. That vacancy is set to be filled when councillors meet at the end of this month to co-opt a new member, having advertised for a replacement.

There is no election for the town council seat as there had been no official requests to hold one.