Below is link to a formal briefing note from the Aberdeenshire Council’s Area Manager on the current situation at the Hampton by Hilton Hotel in Elrick which has recently been contracted in its entirety by the Home Office (HO) as an “Asylum hotel”. The note covers the background of asylum seeker situation and management of their accommodation, the roles of the HO’s managing agent Mears and Aberdeenshire Council, along with some key FAQs.Members of WECC have no formal insights to the situation other than the detail contained here and the fact that the first intake of 20 residents was planned for Tuesday 28th March but has been delayed to next week. We do though fully support the aim of the Shire Council, working in partnership with the Home Office and their agents Mears, to mitigate any negative impacts on the Westhill community and maximise the strengths, goodwill and resilience in our community. To that end WECC has offered its support to the responsible authorities and remains on standby should support be requested.
An email address is included at the end of the briefing. If you have any serious concerns about the Westhill situation that need a response from the Council please use this contact email. Alternatively if you require clarification on existing or evolving policy and its implementation, you may wish to contact your local Westminster MP.
WESTHILL & ELRICK COMMUNITY COUNCIL 