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Crewe Arms Hotel: Freedom of Information request submitted to Home Office

Local News by The Editor 16th Apr 2026   1
The FOI request was submitted to the Home Office on Wednesday 15 April (Photo: Ryan Parker).
The FOI request was submitted to the Home Office on Wednesday 15 April (Photo: Ryan Parker).
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Chief Reporter and Editor of Crewe Nub News, Ryan Parker, has submitted an FOI request to the Home Office, asking where the single male asylum seekers have been relocated to after residing at The Crewe Arms Hotel until its closure.

As confirmed by Cheshire Police, The Nantwich Road hotel accommodated approximately 115 asylum seekers until October 2025, with these numbers reducing steadily up until its closure.

A ministerial decision was taken to prioritise the hotel for closure, with the final resident leaving this April. It reopens to the public on Monday 20 April.

On Wednesday 15 April, the FOI request was submitted, saying: "Dear Home Office, I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

"I am a journalist seeking clarity regarding the closure of the Crewe Arms Hotel in Crewe, Cheshire, which was used to accommodate approximately 115 single male asylum seekers prior to its recent closure.

"According to publicly available information, residents have been relocated to alternative accommodation under the Home Office's dispersal arrangements.

"However, no detail has been provided regarding the nature or location of that accommodation.

'This has caused serious concern from the local community, hence this request to know the facts.

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"I would therefore like to request the following information:

"The destinations to which the 115 asylum seekers previously accommodated at the Crewe Arms Hotel have been relocated, including: a): The towns/cities and local authority areas involved b): The type of accommodation used (e.g. dispersal housing, military sites, hotels, or other facilities).

"The dates on which these individuals were relocated, including whether the relocations occurred in stages or as a single transfer.

"Whether any of the individuals were transferred to large-scale sites such as military barracks or former institutional accommodation.

"The contractors or accommodation providers responsible for housing these individuals following their relocation.

"Any impact assessments, equality analyses, or risk assessments carried out in relation to the dispersal of these individuals from the Crewe Arms Hotel.

"Any correspondence or briefings held by the Home Office regarding the closure of the Crewe Arms Hotel and the subsequent relocation of its residents.

"If any of this information is exempt from disclosure, please provide the relevant exemption(s) and supply any information that can be released in redacted form.

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"Yours faithfully, Ryan Parker, Crewe Nub News."

The Home Office is legally required to respond to an FOI request promptly, and in any event, within 20 working days of receipt.

On Thursday 16 April, The Home Office replied, saying: "Dear Ryan Parker, Thank you for contacting the Home Office with your request.

"This has been assigned to a caseworker (case ref FOI2026/05383).

"We will aim to send you a full response by 14 May 2026 which is twenty working days from the date we received your request."

READ MORE: Hunt for Crewe man, 41, on prison recall.

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Blocked

Don't get too excited. The Freedom of Information Act is something "Sir Humphrey" would be pleased with. One of the grounds for NOT answering is simply that it would take too much staff time - and writing out the details of 115 cases could fall under that. And what exactly military bases are being used for at any point in time could be classed as a National Security issue (by narrowing where the actual military is...). And the 20 day rule could be complied with by giving an update of wherework on the reply is without actually giving a reply (and don't forget weekends and bank holidays don't count).

What would be interesting is whether there WERE 115 people when it closed, it might be that the facilities company between the Home Office and hotel (and creaming off a large proportion of the costs) was contracted for 115 but were handing fewer. Same question could be asked about The Royal, were we paying for capacity not actual people?


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