Following the decision by the owners of the Stradey Park Hotel to close the hotel, with immediate effect, Carmarthenshire County Council has gained assurance from Dame Nia Griffith MP, following her discussions with the Home Office that the building is not being considered for any temporary housing plans.

Back in 2023, protestors campaigned for weeks and weeks outside the Hotel, following proposals by the Home Office to use the premises in Furnace, Llanelli to house a large number of asylum seekers.

Those plans were eventually scrapped, and in light of any further speculation, the County Council has also confirmed that it does not have plans to procure the building, and also it has had no approaches from the Home Office or any other organisation in terms of any plans for its future use.

The Local Authority has made contact with staff at the hotel to provide employability support and will remain in contact with staff throughout this period of uncertainty.

Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, Cllr Linda Evans said: “It’s extremely disappointing to learn that the owners of the Stradey Park Hotel have decided to close the hotel and in such sudden fashion.

“Our priority as a County Council is to the staff of the hotel, who are directly affected by this development, and our officers are in direct contact with the staff to support them during what must be a very difficult and worrying time for them.”

Cllrs Martyn Palfreman and Edward Skinner, representing the Hengoed Ward, added: “We are extremely grateful to the County Council for putting measures in place to help those staff affected by this sudden announcement and we will do all we can to add our support to these efforts over the coming weeks.

“We are also heartened to have received assurance from the UK Government that they will not be using the Stradey Park Hotel to house asylum seekers. This should provide reassurance across the community; however we would encourage anyone with ongoing concerns to contact us directly.”