Damien Moore MP Successfully Prevents Proposal to House 171 Asylum Seekers at Royal Clifton Hotel

Damien Moore MP secures commitment that second Britannia site won’t house asylum seekers.
Member of Parliament for Southport, Damien Moore, has today received confirmation that proposals to
house 171 asylum seekers in the Royal Clifton Hotel, a Britannia property, have now been scrapped.

This news comes after Mr. Moore made strong representations in Southport and in Westminster to
ensure that these ill-thought-out proposals would not go ahead. Mr. Moore had previously spoken with
the Council, and had identified a range of serious risks with the proposal.

From the impact on local services, in particular children’s services, to the impact on the local economy,
Mr. Moore argued that the housing of asylum seekers in Southport would be of detrimental impact to
our community.

In particular, Mr. Moore raised the profile of the effects this would have on Children’s Services in the
area, to argue that any implementation of these proposals would have seen a further deterioration in
Sefton Council’s provision. Furthermore, the housing of asylum seekers in Britannia sites would reduce
the availability of holiday accommodation for tourists, and needlessly harm Southport’s vibrant local
economy.

Mr. Moore’s successful intervention today comes following his previous successful efforts in February
this year to persuade Sefton Council not to house over 3,000 asylum seekers in Pontins, on land owned
by the Council and leased to Britannia. The local MP has repeatedly called on the Council to evict
Britannia from sites owned by Sefton, when the business appears content to use land leased for holiday
purposes, which is extremely important for Southport’s local economy, for housing asylum seekers
instead.

Mr. Moore has also previously appeared on BBC News on 3rd February 2023 to argue against
inappropriate proposals. The story led the front page of the BBC, as Mr. Moore made clear on the
national stage the huge negative impact such proposals would have on Southport. As the town’s local
MP, he will continue to fight any such proposals.

Damien Moore, Member of Parliament for Southport, said:
“After successfully stopping the ill-thought-out proposal to house asylum seekers in land owned by
Sefton Council in Pontins in February this year, I am pleased to have once again stopped the housing of
asylum seekers in Southport, this time in the Royal Clifton Hotel.

“It is absolutely wrong to consider bringing asylum-seeking children and families into Southport, when
local children are already not getting the support they need and deserve. I will continue doing all I can to
defend our town’s children, our local economy, and our community.”

“I urge Sefton Council to get assurances from Britannia that these sites will not be used to provide
asylum accommodation. If this is not forthcoming, then all legal options, such as compulsory purchase
powers or forfeiting the lease should be utilised. I will also support any changes to existing legislation to
enable the Council to do this, and will work with them to secure a more long-term fix for preventing
inappropriate housing of asylum seekers in our town.”