‘Ukrainian refugees could use the vacant hotel within Selkirk House in Holborn’

• PRITI Patel, the home secretary, said that the government were doing their very best to assist Ukrainian refugees to come to the UK but explained that the slow response was in part as a consequence of the difficulties to find suitable available temporary accommodation and this could not be solved overnight.

Taking her at her word she might just take a look at using the vacant hotel within Selkirk House in Holborn that is empty and in very good condition.

Selkirk House contains a 184-bedroom hotel (previously a Travelodge) that includes specialist disability accommodation, complete with large catering facilities, reception, communal rooms and a spacious restaurant / dining area.

Some work is required to reconnect the services and connect sanitaryware but, otherwise, within a very short time and limited expenditure the building could provide emergency and safe accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.

Selkirk House is owned by LabTech a private property company, that also owns Camden Market.

Teddy Sagi is the owner of LabTech and according to Forbes, a publication that lists the richest people in the world, he personally is worth over £6billion.

Councillors Danny Beale and Abdul Hai are both members of Camden cabinet and both apparently have a very good relationship with Teddy Sagi; indeed Abdul Hai is a director of LabTech.

They surely could encourage Teddy Sagi to make Selkirk House available for emergency accommodation for Ukrainian war refugees. Let us hope so.

SAVE MUSEUM STREET COALITION
(Bloomsbury Association, Covent Garden Community Association, Covent Garden Area Trust, Climate Emergency Camden, Drury Lane Residents, Grape Street Residents, Leicester Square Association, Save Bloomsbury, South Bloomsbury Tenants’ & Residents’ Association, Soho Society, Leicester Square Association, Tavistock Chambers Residents’ Association,
& Willoughby Street Residents)