Old Palace Lodge – public meeting planned over hotel asylum seekers contract

‘Use it or lose it’ Dunstable’s MP has urged residents after news broke last week the iconic Old Palace Lodge was to house asylum seekers.

A public meeting is being held on Thursday, February 16, to discuss the situation after strong reaction to the news that the hotel, on Church Road, had secured a Government contract stating the impact from the pandemic and rapidly rising energy costs were having a serious impact on the business.

The meeting will be chaired by the Mayor of Dunstable, Cllr Liz Jones, with Andrew Selous MP, ViV Vayssieres representing the Old Palace Lodge and Inspector Cray Burch from Bedfordshire Police on the panel.

Mr Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire said: “I very strongly support the Government in its determination to place asylum seekers in surplus student and holiday camp accommodation, and not in hotels. From the moment I was told the Home Office were looking at this hotel, I told them that this was the wrong location and I have tried to work with the owners to see how this decision could be avoided.

“I understand the upset and dismay at losing the Old Palace Lodge, which is such a special part of our town. I particularly feel for all of those with important family events coming up who are now having to find new venues. We had to do this twice for my daughter’s wedding reception during the pandemic and I know how upsetting this is.

“However, it is important to understand how difficult the pandemic has been for the hotel business generally with significant debts incurred as a result of Covid and with the trend towards working from home, meaning a much lower business room occupancy in particular. Despite significant government energy rebates, the monthly energy bills of the hotel were enormous and could not be borne on such a low room occupancy.

“I want to look forward to the future and very much hope that the hotel will be able to open again to the public on the 1st of March 2024, when I hope that business will be brisk and that the people and businesses of the area will support this wonderful old hotel. No one has a right to a lovely hotel in their town and two 4-star hotels have closed in Harpenden, for example. We must not let the Old Palace Lodge go to same way, so to me it is very much a case of use it or lose it.

“We should also remember that the owners have invested significantly in the hotel, adding new rooms at the back and creating the most magnificent Tudor Garden, which I will very much miss not being able to use this summer. While understanding the legitimate upset at this decision, we must avoid some of the hate-filled social media commentary that we have seen in recent weeks. The owners need to know that while we are distraught at losing the hotel, we want them back and want to see them prosper as a hotel, so they are available for family functions and business events long into the future.”

The meeting will be held from 7.30pm to 9.30pm in the Priory Church in Dunstable.