By Jason Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

A councillor question over the use of a Portswood hotel to accommodate asylum seekers received a single word answer.

Conservative member for Sholing Cllr Sarah Powell-Vaughan submitted a written question to the chair of the planning and rights of way panel.

She asked: “Do you have concerns over hotels in Southampton, not having the correct Planning and Rights of Way Permission to house immigrants?”

A written reply from Cllr Vivienne Windle for full council on Wednesday, September 24 said: “No.”

Conservative group leader Cllr Peter Baillie pressed the subject at the meeting, asking for confirmation that hotels being used in Southampton had the necessary planning permission for this type of use.

There is currently only one hotel in Southampton being used as accommodation for asylum seekers – Highfield House Hotel in Portswood.

Labour cabinet member for economic development Cllr Sarah Bogle said: “It is still a hotel so I don’t see any change to planning requirements.”

In a follow up question, Cllr Baillie asked: “Everything does have the required necessary planning permissions for that use?”

Cllr Bogle said: “Yes as far as I understand it.

“This is the only one left from the previous government’s imposition of this use and previous ones there was no issue, like the Dolphin which is now no longer that use, so as far as I know there is no issue.”

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, complaints had been lodged with the council’s planning enforcement team last month over the use of Highfield House Hotel.

This included a submission from Reform UK’s Southampton branch, which came after the legal challenge over the use of The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.