Great Yarmouth is a proud seaside town. Families visit us for the beaches, the arcades, and the hotels along our famous seafront. Tourism is the backbone of our economy. It supports local businesses, creates jobs, and keeps our community thriving.
But in recent years, Britain has seen record numbers of illegal migrants arriving. The Government has struggled to cope and has relied on hotels for temporary housing. This costs taxpayers a staggering £6 million every day and, more importantly for us, threatens our tourism economy.
Hotels in Great Yarmouth should be for visitors — not for housing illegal migrants. That is why, as Leader of the Council, I took action back in 2023, well before the rise of Reform.
When we learned that companies wanted to use our local hotels to house migrants, we moved quickly. Almost every hotel along our seafront is in a protected area called GY6. This zone is legally safeguarded for tourism.
Turning hotels into hostels or long-term housing is an unauthorised “change of use.” That requires special planning permission — and none of the operators involved had it.
We used every planning enforcement tool available, but when that was not enough, I led the council in taking the matter to the High Court.
On 2 May 2023, Justice Holgate agreed with our case. He issued a final injunction banning hotels from being used to house migrants. In his ruling, he described the area as “a highly specific, protective policy directed to a large and highly important sector of the borough’s economy.”
In other words, he recognised what we have always known: protecting tourism is vital to protecting Great Yarmouth.
Hotels were only one part of the problem. There was also a risk that landlords might try to use Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to house migrants.
I have always been very clear the council will do everything in its power to prevent this and so far no HMOs are in use for this purpose in Great Yarmouth.
Between the injunction and the HMO action, we have put in place firm protections that cannot be ignored.
Some may ask why we fought so hard. My answer is simple: The residents of Great Yarmouth come first. Our hotels are for visitors. Without them, fewer families will holiday here and our economy will suffer.
Fairness matters. Local residents and businesses must all follow planning rules. Big operators cannot be allowed to break them.
We are defending our future. If our seafront is taken over, Great Yarmouth will lose what makes it special, and the town will decline.
That is why the Conservatives in Great Yarmouth took the fight to court — and won.
This was something we worked on with our previous Conservative MP Brandon Lewis. Conservatives have led the way in Gt Yarmouth and I recently issued a joint statement with former Reform, now Independent MP, Rupert Lowe on making clear that we will oppose any attempt to house illegal migrants in our borough. We have not just spoken the words — we have taken firm action to protect our town.
Conservatives are delivering leadership. We are standing up for residents, protecting jobs, and making sure Great Yarmouth remains a tourist destination — not a base for illegal migrants.
Let Me Be Clear: Illegal migrants are not welcome in Great Yarmouth.
We will continue to take whatever action is necessary to protect our town, our residents, and our economy.
This is what Conservative leadership looks like: firm decisions, strong action, and a clear plan for the future of Great Yarmouth
Cllr Carl Smith is Conservative leader of Gt Yarmouth Borough Council.