Home Office bids to house asylum seekers in Headingley

Leeds City Council confirmed yesterday that it has received a planning submission from the Home Office to use student accommodation in Headingley to house asylum seekers.

- by Charles Brown

In a statement to the YEP, the council said it had been advised by the Home Office that the submission is part of wider central government efforts to reduce the reliance on hotel use for those seeking asylum.

If approved, the submission will permit the building - Mary Morris House, in Shire Oak Road - to be used as accommodation for non-students.

The council does not own the property, with its possible use by non-students being a Home Office-led initiative.