Latest news with #Diss
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Norfolk hotel for asylum families asks for 'understanding'
A hotel housing asylum-seeking families has appealed for "understanding and sensitivity" after protesters gathered outside and chanted "send them back".About 150 people joined a demonstration opposite the Park Hotel in Diss, Norfolk, on Monday, after Home Office announced plans to place single adult males there."There are currently vulnerable families and children staying at the hotel—many of whom are feeling frightened and uncertain about recent events at the hotel and their futures," the hotel wrote in a social media Norfolk Council said it "welcomes the move by the owners of the Park Hotel to refuse to change from a home for families seeking asylum". The Home Office told the BBC it was discussing the issue with the council and local MP. The hotel said: "The Park Hotel has been contracted by the Home Office to provide accommodation for families."This arrangement presently remains in place, despite recent public statements suggesting otherwise."We have advised the Home Office and other stakeholders that should this situation change, and we are formally notified that the hotel will no longer operate as a family-only establishment, we will have no alternative but to close the hotel." Monday's protest began just after 17:30 BST, with about 60 people standing opposite the hotel with shouts of "we want our country back".They were met by about 30 counter-protesters holding signs reading "refugees welcome".The original protest grew in number to about 150 people, delivering speeches and chanting "send them home".Green Party MP for Waveney Valley Adrian Ramsay said he had raised concerns with the Home Office about its plans but said the protest that took place was "wrong"."Groups from outside our community came here to create fear and division," he said in a statement."That is not who we are. Diss is a town rooted in compassion and decency." Ramsay said the asylum hotel had been running for two years "without any issues", but he was "frustrated" at a sudden potential change in use."The families staying here have become part of the local community, with many of their children attending local schools," he said."However, late last week we were informed that these families would be told to leave the hotel at short notice".South Norfolk Council said it would be meeting with the Home Office on Friday and claimed the proposed change "came out of the blue"."We are hoping that the Home Office, at that meeting if not before, will officially reverse its decision and let the families living in the Park Hotel stay in the town that welcomed them so warmly two years ago," it authority has no overall control but its biggest group of councillors (23) are Conservative, including the council's leader, Daniel Elmer The hotel added: "We ask for understanding and sensitivity from both the public and the media during this time, as we continue to provide support to those in our accommodation."A Home Office spokeswoman previously told the BBC the asylum system was under "unprecedented strain"."That was the situation the government inherited, but we have begun to restore order," she Home Office has been contacted for comment. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Migrant hotel hit by protests in Norfolk threatens to close if Home Office pushes ahead with plans to replace resident asylum seeker families with single adult men
A Norfolk migrant hotel hit by protests has threatened to close if the Home Office pushes ahead with plans to replace the families it is currently housing with single men. Around 150 people gathered outside the Park Hotel in Diss on Monday night for a 'peaceful' demonstration after the Home Office announced the proposed change. But footage posted on social media, including by supporters of far right activist Tommy Robinson, showed clashes between pro and anti-migrant groups. The owners of the Park Hotel have now issued a statement insisting they will not agree to the request to move away from only housing families. 'We would also like to confirm and reassure the community of Diss that we have advised the Home Office and other stakeholders that, should this situation change, and we are formally notified that the hotel will no longer operate as a family-only establishment, we will have no alternative but to close,' it read. 'There are currently vulnerable families and children staying at the hotel - many of whom are feeling frightened and uncertain about recent events at the hotel and their futures. We ask for understanding and sensitivity during this time.' The scuffles in Diss followed violence outside another hotel in Epping, Essex after an asylum seeker was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl eight days after arriving in the UK. Angela Rayner has warned that anger at high levels of illegal immigration is risking social cohesion in Britain's poorest communities and must be addressed, as fears grow of a new 'summer of riots'. The Deputy Prime Minister told the Cabinet yesterday that they had to 'acknowledge the real concerns people have' about immigration and economic insecurity. Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that Britain is a 'powder keg' that could explode into a repeat of the street violence that followed the Southport murders 12 months ago - unless Labour gets a grip on migrant hotels. Protesters took to the streets of Epping on Sunday - with marchers seen holding red smoke flares aloft as demonstrators displayed signs behind them According to the Prime Minister's official spokesman, Ms Rayner warned the Cabinet that '17 of the 18 places that saw the worst of the disorder last summer ranked at the top of the most deprived, and while Britain was a successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith country, the Government had to show it had a plan to address people's concerns (and) provide opportunities for everyone to flourish'. Sir Keir Starmer is facing pressure to act to prevent a repeat of 2024, when towns and cities were hit by violent, often racist protests triggered by the Southport child murders. As the Commons prepares to break up today for its summer recess, Labour MPs have voiced fears that the country could see violence before they return in September, in a rerun of 12 months ago. The demonstration in Norfolk started with around 60 people shouting 'we want our country back'. They were met by about 30 counter-protesters from Stand Up To Racism holding signs that read 'refugees welcome'. Footage shows them initially standing on opposite sides of the road outside the hotel. But as tension mounted, they clashed with one another, with protesters crossing the road to confront the counter-protesters. South Norfolk Council has opposed plans to change the use of the hotel to single adult male migrants, saying it only learned about it in a brief email from Whitehall last week. It has backed the stance taken by the hotel's owners. In a letter to the Home Office, council leader Daniel Elmer, wrote: 'We feel the decision and intended timeframe poses significant risks and concerns to both community cohesion and the vulnerable single males who would be residing at the hotel. 'The community impact of this change cannot be overstated. When the hotel was first opened for asylum accommodation, there was considerable unease among local residents.' He added: 'A sudden shift to a SAM [Single Adult Male] hotel risks reigniting those tensions, especially in the absence of any community engagement or mitigation strategy from the Home Office.' The Grade II listed Park Hotel is situated on a road containing a mixture of Victorian, Tudor, and Elizabethan houses right in the heart of the historic Diss town centre. It is adjacent to the mere, a popular destination for locals and tourists which offers scenic views and opportunities for recreation and wildlife viewing. Julian Bareham, 71, who has lived opposite the Park Hotel for 22 years, complained he didn't want 'these people' walking freely around the town. 'If they are locked in and can't get out, I will feel more at ease. We don't know what these people are capable of,' he said. 'The hotel used to be a nice friendly community hub, an amenity that was well-respected and useful for those needing an overnight stay who were coming here for business. It is a huge loss. 'After lockdown, the hotel never really recovered and the owners sold it to new owners who did a deal with the government and this deal, I believe, has been a disaster for the town.' But a 55-year-old man who lives near the hotel was supportive of the asylum seekers, however, and expressed concern about the tone of the protests. Counter-protesters gathered next to a 'stop the boat' banner holding posters up which said 'stop the far right' A police officer was seen with blood running down his cheek outside The Bell Hotel in Epping on July 20 'It was absolute chaos, people were shouting far right and ill-informed things about how these people will be molesting and raping the women and children of Diss,' he told the Mail. 'I felt absolutely threatened in my own home, they were saying that they are going to be coming every Sunday at 2pm. This is going to disrupt our peaceful family life and I am worried. 'I have no issues with peaceful protests but this was unorganised, people spilling on the streets nearly being run over. A blind woman had to walk onto the road as the pavements were flooded. 'We have had asylum seekers residing next door for the last three years or so, roughly, and there has never been any issues. It is far better and quieter than when the hotel was in operation.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Protesters gather outside Norfolk hotel used by asylum seekers
Protesters have gathered outside a hotel housing asylum-seeking families after the Home Office planned to change the occupants to single adult 60 people shouting "we want our country back" gathered on the opposite side of the road to the hotel in Diss, Norfolk, just after 17:30 (BST).They were met by about 30 counter-protesters holding signs that read "refugees welcome".South Norfolk Council said it opposed changing the use of the hotel, which it learned about in a brief email from Whitehall last week. Both the Home Office and Norfolk Police were approached for comment. At one point, the larger group crossed the road and confronted the counter-protesters, who were standing near police a speaker system, a man asked the counter-protesters questions, such as why they felt migrants should be housed in the refugee-supporting group left their spot outside the hotel to continue their demonstration other protesters then crossed the road, growing in number to about 100 people, before delivering speeches and chanting "send them home" outside the hotel's locked gates. South Norfolk Council argued the families currently living at the South Norfolk hotel had become part of the local community, and replacing them with single men could reignite tensions and cause unrest similar to that seen in other was reported by BBC News in June that 32,000 asylum seekers were living in hotels across the about the planned changes, Adrian Ramsay MP for Waveney Valley said, "the sudden uprooting of families" was "deeply concerning". "Many of these families have been here for two years, becoming part of our community with their children going to local schools," he said."I understand that families are being told they must leave next week, yet they have not been given any information about where they will be going next. "I am shocked and angered that any group of people would be treated like this. To uproot them in such a way is wrong." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Advance bookings plea to protect local theatres
Theatre goers are being asked to purchase their tickets further in advance to help keep performances running. The Corn Hall theatre in Diss, Norfolk, say they have had to cancel or postpone performances due to a low number of advanced sales. Lee Johnson, general manager at the theatre, said that as a charity, they needed people to book further in advance to work out if a show is financially viable. He said: "Booking your tickets early helps us to ensure that the event can go ahead. I can say to the producer that we've sold 100 tickets... Then they're happy, and I'm happy." Three performances have been cancelled at the Corn Hall this year because of low sales, and other have been postponed to a later date. The change in habit to favour late bookings is something that Mr Johnson said became more "prominent" after the COVID 19 pandemic. "I think people became so used to events getting cancelled during that difficult time," he said. "You'd book a ticket, and the show would be cancelled, or it would get shunted forwards by six months, then something else would happen." Mr Johnson said the cancellations had an "immense" effect on both the theatre's finances and reputation. "It's not just the impact on the charity when we need to refund people, but people also think, 'well if they've cancelled that, what else are they going to cancel'. "I really don't want to cancel any shows, but when you're talking to producers who say we are not going to make any money out of this, we are left with no other option." Adam Taylor, chief executive of Norfolk charity The Garage Trust, said he has also noticed a shift in consumer habits. He runs both The Garage theatre in Norwich, and The Workshop performing arts venue in King's Lynn. "We are seeing the same trends that are being reported by a number of other theatres across the county in terms of ticket sales being much, much later than they were before," he said. 'Rising costs' Mr Taylor said this meant more unpredictability with box office sales, and changes to programme to reflect it. "Our programmes might now be more risk averse than they were three or four years ago, presenting less of a broad stroke in programmes," he said. "Coming out of the pandemic we assumed that things were going to reset, and they very much haven't... Behaviours have changed quite substantially." UK Theatre, which supports theatres and practitioners, said they were beginning to see audiences returning to advance bookings. Hannah Essex, co-chief executive, said: "Encouragingly, there has been a marked return to earlier booking habits among regional audiences. "While theatre is more popular than ever, many venues are facing rising costs with flat or declining public investment – a situation that is increasingly unsustainable. "If we are to secure the future of regional theatres for the next generation of audiences and creatives, we must ensure there is a strategy for sustainable long-term investment." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Big drop in plays staged by theatres over past decade 'I want to promote small theatres' - Suranne Jones Gavin & Stacey star pops in to friend's show
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Advance bookings plea to protect Norfolk theatres
Theatre goers are being asked to purchase their tickets further in advance to help keep performances Corn Hall theatre in Diss, Norfolk, say they have had to cancel or postpone performances due to a low number of advanced Johnson, general manager at the theatre, said that as a charity, they needed people to book further in advance to work out if a show is financially said: "Booking your tickets early helps us to ensure that the event can go ahead. I can say to the producer that we've sold 100 tickets... Then they're happy, and I'm happy." Three performances have been cancelled at the Corn Hall this year because of low sales, and other have been postponed to a later date. The change in habit to favour late bookings is something that Mr Johnson said became more "prominent" after the COVID 19 pandemic. "I think people became so used to events getting cancelled during that difficult time," he said."You'd book a ticket, and the show would be cancelled, or it would get shunted forwards by six months, then something else would happen." Mr Johnson said the cancellations had an "immense" effect on both the theatre's finances and reputation. "It's not just the impact on the charity when we need to refund people, but people also think, 'well if they've cancelled that, what else are they going to cancel'."I really don't want to cancel any shows, but when you're talking to producers who say we are not going to make any money out of this, we are left with no other option." Adam Taylor, chief executive of Norfolk charity The Garage Trust, said he has also noticed a shift in consumer runs both The Garage theatre in Norwich, and The Workshop performing arts venue in King's Lynn."We are seeing the same trends that are being reported by a number of other theatres across the county in terms of ticket sales being much, much later than they were before," he said. 'Rising costs' Mr Taylor said this meant more unpredictability with box office sales, and changes to programme to reflect it."Our programmes might now be more risk averse than they were three or four years ago, presenting less of a broad stroke in programmes," he said. "Coming out of the pandemic we assumed that things were going to reset, and they very much haven't... Behaviours have changed quite substantially."UK Theatre, which supports theatres and practitioners, said they were beginning to see audiences returning to advance bookings. Hannah Essex, co-chief executive, said: "Encouragingly, there has been a marked return to earlier booking habits among regional audiences."While theatre is more popular than ever, many venues are facing rising costs with flat or declining public investment – a situation that is increasingly unsustainable."If we are to secure the future of regional theatres for the next generation of audiences and creatives, we must ensure there is a strategy for sustainable long-term investment." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
