Asylum seekers could be housed in shared homes in Spelthorne even if a Government pledge to end the long-term use of hotels is met, according to the borough’s council.

The Home Office has confirmed it cannot rule out using Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), large shared homes often rented by several tenants, as part of the national asylum accommodation system.

The update came in a response to Spelthorne Borough Council leader, Cllr Joanne Sexton, who had written to the Government raising concerns about the impact on local housing and services.

While ministers say they are committed to ending the long-term use of hotels for asylum seekers by the end of the current Parliament, they say this will require using a “range of accommodation types” across the country.

Outside of The Stanwell Hotel, Stanwell, Staines. (Credit: Google Street View)

placeholder image — Outside of The Stanwell Hotel, Stanwell, Staines. (Credit: Google Street View)

That means shared housing such as HMOs could still be used if the properties meet safety and suitability standards.

Responding to the letter, Cllr Sexton said residents were worried about what that could mean locally, particularly in areas such as Stanwell.

She said: “I welcome the Government’s response and its commitment to end the long-term use of asylum hotels.

“However, the possibility that other accommodation types, including HMOs, could still be used in Stanwell is concerning.”

The council said the issue is especially sensitive because Spelthorne already faces a shortage of housing, with many residents waiting for homes.

In a letter to the Government earlier this month, Cllr Sexton warned that using more shared housing in the borough could reduce the number of homes available to local people.

She wrote: “Proposals that may increase the use of accommodation within the borough, including Houses in Multiple Occupation, are of particular concern.”

She also said the borough was worried about the impact on services that are already stretched.

“We are also mindful of the wider pressures that additional placements can create for local services, including the NHS, schools and other community provision, which are already operating at or near capacity,” she wrote.

The council said it will continue pressing the Government for clearer information about how asylum accommodation decisions could affect the borough.

Local councillors say residents are also increasingly concerned about the number of HMOs already operating in neighbourhoods.

Cllr Med Buck said people frequently raise issues such as parking pressures, waste problems and overcrowding.

The Stanwell councillor said another key issue is that the council does not currently have a complete picture of how many HMOs exist across the borough.

He said: “How can the Council properly regulate HMOs if it does not even know how many exist?”

Cllr Buck told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Residents of Spelthorne are a compassionate community, but compassion must come with transparency and proper planning.

“Our residents should never be the last to know when accommodation is being arranged in their neighbourhoods.”

The council has recently introduced new planning rules requiring permission before houses can be converted into HMOs in the future.

However, many smaller HMOs created in the past did not require planning permission or licensing, meaning some may not appear on official records.

Councillors are now calling for a borough-wide register of HMOs so residents and the council have a clearer understanding of how many there are and where they are located.