Homeless families to be moved out of London hotel during Beyoncé tour

Up to 30 families, including young children, living at Travelodge Enfield will be affected
Beyonce is bringing her Renaissance world tour to London next week
Getty Images for Parkwood
Miriam Burrell23 May 2023

Homeless families will be forced from a hotel in north London during Beyonce’s five-show stint next week after the local council did not extend its bookings and concert-goers snapped up rooms.

Enfield Council room bookings for up to 30 families living at Travelodge Enfield are due to lapse on May 31 or June 2 and their rooms have been booked by Beyoncé ticket holders planning to be near the concert venue at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The superstar singer is performing at the stadium on May 29, 30 and June 1, 3 and 4 as part of the UK leg of her widely-acclaimed Renaissance tour.

Enfield Council, who makes bookings on behalf of families that are homeless, did not renew them before others snapped up the rooms, according to the Guardian.

The council currently has booked around 100 rooms, which is two thirds of the hotel. Travelodge rooms can only be booked for 28 days at a time.

Families will have to be moved to other parts of the country - some reportedly to Hertfordshire - and cannot return to Enfield until June 4.

The move is expected to cause disruption to parents and children’s schooling.

Among those affected is a mother-of-three Collette Collington, who has two sons with autism.

She told the Guardian: “I don’t sleep as it is but this news is very distressing. It’s not good for me, my mental health and for my two youngest children who need stability because of their additional needs.

“Every environment we go into, it takes time for them to settle in. They have to be in the same routine. It will be very distressing for them.”

Enfield Council said affected residents are being notified of any changes and the council is working with Travelodge and other hotels to find alternative “suitable, affordable accommodation”.

A spokesperson said: “Council officers are visiting families to explain the options available to them, and if direct contact cannot be made, we are writing to them to outline next steps.

“Travelodge booking system does not allow for long-term reservations and regular re-bookings need to be made. This situation exemplifies the deteriorating state of housing in London and the collapse of the private rental sector.

“We will continue to assist people to move with practical solutions and our lobbying of the government to urgently address the rental and housing crises will intensify.”

Travelodge said in a statement: “We have been working with Enfield Council for many years to provide short term accommodation. All parties understand that this is a temporary arrangement until the Local Authority can find a more permanent solution.

“At present we do have ample availability at our Enfield and nearby hotels for the dates in question that the Council are welcome to book. Our rooms are subject to availability but we will always try our utmost to support Enfield council where we can.”

The latest government statistics on homelessness in England show 101,300 households live in temporary accommodation - the highest figure since 2005.

Across London, the number of families living in B&B and hotel accommodation for longer than six weeks increased an alarming 823 per cent between February 2022 and February 2023.

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