Overview
- Leeds City Council said the Home Office confirmed a planning submission for Mary Morris House is part of efforts to cut reliance on asylum hotels.
- The application seeks to convert the 247‑bed student block in Headingley into a hostel, does not specify asylum use, and is due for a decision in October.
- Residents near the site voiced safety concerns and frustration over a lack of formal consultation in the planning process.
- At least eight councils, including Wigan, Derby and Warrington, are advancing measures such as Article 4 directions to tighten control over HMO conversions used for asylum accommodation.
- The Home Office says it is working with local authorities to reduce hotel use, while separate reports say ministers are eyeing military sites despite official warnings those could cost more than the roughly £5.5 million per day spent on hotels.