“It's easy to try and sow discord in our community but that doesn’t mean it’s correct or the full picture. “We speak with the Home Office every week and that relationship was key in securing the closing of the Metropole. Having a professional relationship is much more productive for Blackpool, proven by the early closure that we secured through our approach. “People seeking asylum are not housed in social housing. We changed our policy years ago so that people with over three years of connection to Blackpool were prioritised. We put this policy in place initially for people moving here from cities like Manchester and Birmingham, but it holds the test of time and still puts Blackpool people first. It is over-subscribed, but that’s from Blackpool people, and backs up this council’s plans to create more social housing, and tighter regulate the private rented sector. "We understand from the Home Office that there isn’t a need for additional houses or hotels here but are speaking to them regularly. “The government has massively reduced the backlog of asylum claims. That will mean that some people have a legal right to stay in the UK, however that doesn’t always mean that they choose to stay in Blackpool and if they do choose to stay there is no queue jumping. Blackpool residents come first. “It’s really important to put context on the discussion around refugee resettlement. It’s not true to say we have three times the national average of asylum seekers. "The proportion of people in dispersal accommodation in Blackpool is not one of the highest in the North West, with higher proportions in Preston, East Lancashire and Liverpool. Even with every resettlement scheme, the total amount is less than 1% of our population. That is expected to fall further as the Metropole closes next month and we will keep making the case for Blackpool to be treated appropriately."