A DECISION to place asylum seekers in a Conwy Valley hotel cost the council thousands in social service costs, said a concerned cabinet member.

Eighty-seven asylum seekers were housed in the Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia in Dolgarrog in November due to a backlog of cases elsewhere in the UK.

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The hotel was reopened earlier this month after the asylum seekers moved, and now Caerhun councillor Goronwy Edwards has alleged that the home office failed to follow the proper processes and accused the Government of costing Conwy Council thousands.

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Speaking at this week’s special council meeting on the budget, Cllr Edwards said he was working with the local MP to recover money from the home office after strain was put on Conwy’s social services department.

“We have our own home-grown pressures, but when we have additional pressures from the decision of the home office to locate illegal migrants in the hotel in the valley, it has caused significant challenges to our social services team,” he said.

“And 15 young people were identified, and our services had to pick up the cost of taking care of these young people at about £500 (each) a week, I believe.

“I’ve been talking to Robin Millar (MP), and he totally agrees that we should be asking the home office to address that cost that was imposed on the council totally inappropriately.

"Had the home office followed their proper processes, I think these young people probably wouldn’t have been situated in the Conwy area in the first place.”

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Aberconwy MP Robin Millar later commented: “I’ve made representation to the immigration minister and am awaiting a response.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

"We engage with local authorities as early as possible whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation and work to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people.”