Weddings and Christmas parties are cancelled as four-star 86-room hotel closes ... trends now

Weddings and Christmas parties have been cancelled as a four-star hotel suddenly closed to reportedly house migrants.

This comes after the Home Office has said small-boat migrants must be booked in three-star hotels at least as housing costs soar to £8million a day. 

The Chichester Park Hotel on Madgwick Lane, Chichester, has announced it would close on Monday, September 25, and would be taken over by a third-party company to house long-term residents.

This sudden closure will see hundreds of events including weddings and Christmas parties cancelled on short notice. 

Locals believe this is due to migrants moving into the 86-room hotel after two local councils released a joint statement saying that a hotel in the area might be used as contingency accommodation for asylum seekers, according to ITV.

A spokesperson said: 'West Sussex County Council and Chichester District Council have recently been advised by the Home Office that a hotel in the Chichester area is being considered for use as contingency accommodation for people seeking asylum.

'Decisions around use of hotels and placements for those seeking asylum are made by the Home Office. We are not involved in the decision-making process.'

The Home Office also issued a statement to ITV, in which it said migrants needing accommodation had reached record levels and that using hotels to house them was 'unacceptable'.

'The Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer,' it said further.

Gillian Keegan, local MP and Secretary of State for Education, said using hotels like the Chichester Park Hotel as contingency accommodation for migrants 'is not the right solution for asylum seekers or the local community'.

She told SussexWorld: 'I share the concerns that have been raised over the repurposing of the hotel, particularly around a busy tourism season for Chichester and the impact that additional families will have on local services.'

Residents have launched a petition to stop the Home Office's plans for the Chichester Park Hotel, which has already gained nearly 4,000 signatures.