Huddersfield homeless hotel brings crime to our doorstep, say locals

Residents in Outlane fear for their village as they claim a hotel used by Kirklees Council to house homeless people is not fit for purpose.

Locals are outraged as they believe the use of the Old Golf House Hotel is bringing crime and anti-social behavior to the village and are increasingly frustrated with the council as it continues to take a ‘neither confirm nor deny’ approach when responding to requests for information.

The situation prompted a group of residents to come together and form the Outlane Action Group to campaign against the hotel being used as temporary accommodation to house the homeless and vulnerable.

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The group has repeatedly raised concerns with Kirklees and Calderdale councils, who are understood to have used the hotel, as well as other bodies such as West Yorkshire Police (WYP). Calderdale Council said it no longer uses the site as temporary accommodation.

A key issue for residents is the suitability of the facility to accommodate vulnerable people. Oliver Sheard and other members of the residents’ group claimed the hotel had no kitchen and had only one microwave to serve the 51 rooms. James Brown, who raised a question about hotel use at a cabinet meeting earlier in the year, said the same.

Mr Brown wanted to raise the “many issues and concerns” about the use of the hotel and sought to ensure it was fit for purpose. Other issues raised included policing, costs to the public, protection and poor transport links. Mr Brown also said the site was turned down in 2021 by the Home Office for asylum seekers.

In response, Cabinet Member for Housing and Highways, Cllr Moses Crook, said the local authority was facing “unprecedented demand pressure” from people looking for affordable housing without enough to meet demand. He explained that the council has a statutory duty to prevent homelessness and as a “last resort” uses temporary hotel accommodation in various locations.

He continued: “Every property we use is regularly inspected to ensure it meets and continues to meet the relevant standards. In addition, we provide any social assistance that may be required and is within our ability to provide.

“We work closely with other services that may also have responsibilities, such as the police and others, to ensure that our tenants are as safe as possible at all times and that any impact on the surrounding communities is minimised.”

Outlane residents have also criticized the placement of vulnerable people at the hotel as they believe it has led to an increase in anti-social behavior and crime in the area. Members of the group reported contacting the police about suspected cannabis use and anti-social behaviour.

In addition, a complaint has recently been made about bags of rubbish piling up on the Kirklees Council site.

As of May 3, West Yorkshire Police (WYP) confirmed that they received a call reporting a “potential odor of cannabis when passing the grounds of a building” on April 30, 2024.

A statement from a WYP spokesman continued: “While regular patrols are taking place in the local area, the police have not instituted any special or increased patrols there. Officers have not seen any increase in crime in the Outlane community.”

The action group also says a number of FOI requests to Kirklees Council have been refused on the grounds that it protects those living at the property from harassment and abuse.

However, the residents’ group highlighted what they believe is a double standard as Council leader Cllr Cathy Scott hit out at the Home Office’s plans to house asylum seekers at a site in Manchester Road, Huddersfield in February.

Finally, the Outlane group is concerned about the amount of money put into the hotel. They say public spending data showed that between September 2023 and February 2024, Kirklees Council spent around £637,000 on hotel accommodation. While details of the entries are being redacted, the group says it has evidence they refer to the Old Golf House Hotel.

An FOI request from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed that Calderdale Council paid just over £182,000 to the hotel operator while it was using the site. The request also revealed that the local authority began using the site in July last year, but this had ceased by the time of the FOI request on March 25, 2024.

We asked Kirklees Council for the same information but this was refused.

In response to residents’ concerns, a Kirklees Council spokesman said: “The council has a duty to provide emergency accommodation for those homeless households that meet certain criteria and offers a variety of temporary accommodation as appropriate.

“In some cases, and as a last resort, we have to use hotel accommodation for short periods while we look for more suitable solutions. We work closely with our partners to ensure that all accommodation meets the required standards.

“Accommodations are regularly checked by the council and partners to ensure any issues or concerns are identified and addressed and any reports made to the council are taken seriously.”

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