A bride-to-be has been left feeling “beyond stressed” after a four-star hotel closed suddenly and cancelled their wedding bookings to accommodate 230 migrants.
Needham House Hotel, located in the Hertfordshire village of Little Wymondley, shut its doors after the Home Office booked the property out for an entire year.
Jade Kolonics and her fiance Danny Neal booked the venue for August 25 and have been putting together final preparations ahead of the big day.
Ms Kolonics told The Daily Mail: “Our invites have been sent and RSVP'd to, guests have booked hotel rooms - we have family coming down from all over - and now, only 15 weeks away from the big day, we have no venue, no food and no hotel rooms.
Needham House HotelGoogle Maps“I am beyond stressed and it has had a massive impact on my mental health.”
Nicola Harmel, who was scheduled to wed her partner next summer, wants to find an alternative venue amid the chaos.
She said: “We have our wedding booked next August and no refunds can be made because they have the government contract for one year.
“Needham House said the wedding will go ahead.
Nicola Harmel, who was scheduled to wed her partner next summer, wants to find an alternative venue amid the chaos
“However, the Novotel in Stevenage had a one-year government contract and it's now one and a half years and they still haven't opened the doors to the public.
“I cannot risk having three months to go for them to say they are extending the contract. We need the money from the deposit to put on another location.”
Hitchin & Harpenden MP Bim Afolami has also spoken out against the decision and shares concerns expressed by local residents.
He said: “I want to be very clear - I do not believe Needham House Hotel is a suitable location to house those seeking asylum for a number of reasons.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has promised to help address the ongoing Channel crossing crisis
GB NewsAfolami added: “Not only is there insufficient infrastructure locally, placing those seeking asylum in a rural village with very limited facilities and transport links does not seem well thought out for anyone.
“I have communicated my opposition very strongly to the Home Office.”
The Home Office has stressed the demand for accommodation continues to put the UK’s asylum system under strain.
The UK is currently paying £6million a day to house 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have promised to help address the ongoing Channel crossing crisis.
The pair plan to send thousands of migrants more than 4,000 miles away to Rwanda as a part of the £140million deal agreed last year.
