A Turning Point in Temporary Accommodation
The UK faces an unsettling dilemma: a rising number of asylum seekers amid a structural shortage of suitable housing. Recent government pledges to phase out the use of hotels for asylum accommodation by the end of this Parliament (likely 2029) highlight the urgency of finding viable alternatives.
Hotels—expensive and often unsuitable—currently house over 32,000 asylum seekers across the UK. Some contract closures are already underway, with 50 hotels due to cease use by early 2026 and further closures planned. However, scaling up replacements fast enough remains a critical challenge.
The Bio-SIP Eco Nest—a modular, environmentally-focused, rapidly deployable construction system. Here’s how it could be the solution we desperately need.
Why Eco-Nests Could Be the Solution for Temporary Accommodation
1. Rapid Manufacture & Assembly
Eco-Nests are built with prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) featuring bio-based materials. This design allows for off-site manufacturing and on-site assembly—potentially enabling thousands of homes to be ready in months, not years. In contrast, traditional construction and even repurposing existing buildings (like hotels, student halls, or care homes) often involve lengthy renovations and planning permissions.
2. Cost-Effectiveness
Asylum hotels cost the taxpayer an estimated £8 million per day. Eco-Nests, with low material and labour costs and standardised components, offer scalable—and potentially much cheaper—alternatives.
3. Energy Efficiency & Sustainability
Bio-SIP provide excellent thermal insulation, reducing heating and energy usage. If combined with bio-based materials, Eco-Nests could substantially lower operational carbon and running costs—protecting both funds and the environment.
4. Adaptability & Reusability
Designed as modular and relocatable, Eco-Nests could be adapted to multiple contexts: used as temporary housing, later integrated into social housing or community use, or reassembled for new sites.
5. Bypassing Legal and Planning Hurdles
Many local authorities, including Epping Forest District Council, are delaying or blocking asylum hotel conversions due to planning violations. Financial Times. Eco-Nests, especially if deployed on public land or via fast-track planning for temporary structures, may skirt these hurdles more easily.
Current Government Context & Pressures on using Temporary Accommodation
A. Hotel Use Still Rampant
Despite pledges to end hotel usage, figures show more asylum seekers are currently in hotels. For example, March 2025 saw 32,345 people in hotel accommodation—compared to 29,585 in June 2024. Around 218–220 hotels were in use as of late 2024 to early 2025 BBC+1.
B. Political & Legal Backlash
Councils across the political spectrum are mounting legal challenges to hotel use, citing planning violations and local disruption The Guardian A High Court injunction against converting the Bell Hotel in Essex is setting a precedent Financial Times
C. Alternative Housing Proposals
The Home Office is turning to student accommodation blocks, disused care homes, and military sites as alternative. However, many of these face community resistance, capacity constraints, and planning delays.
D. Pressure of Need
There’s an urgent call for approximately 5,000 housing units to accommodate 20,000 migrants, indicating the scale needed to phase out hotel use. Meanwhile, protests and legal challenges are intensifying.
How Eco-Nests Could Be Deployed for Temporary Accommodation
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Site Identification
Use underutilised public land—former military bases, council estates, disused school grounds—for rapid setup. -
Fast-Track Approvals
Apply for temporary structure permits or emergency planning dispensation to avoid delays. -
Pilot Scheme
Launch a small-scale Eco-Nest pilot to house, for instance, 50–100 people to test processes and gain public confidence. -
Scaling Up
Ramp to broader deployment—ideally thousands of units over 6–12 months—with local council participation. -
Integration & Transition
Once asylum seekers transition to permanent housing, Eco-Nest clusters can be repurposed within the social housing network or community services.
Addressing Potential Concerns
| Concern | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Planning & Approvals | Temporary planning policy or special dispensation can be fast-tracked. |
| Cost Transparency | Costs must be closely analyzed and publicised. SIP modular builds generally reduce time and workforce costs. |
| Community Acceptance | Early public engagement and visibility of environmental and social benefits are key. |
| Scalability | Requires industrial capacity—fostering local manufacturing partnerships will be vital. |
| Long-Term Viability | Promoting Eco-Nests beyond temporary use (e.g., part of social housing stock) improves cost-effectiveness. |
A Renewed Approach with Eco-Nests and Temporary Accommodation
The Eco-Nest model represents a compelling, scalable route to mitigate the temporary housing crisis in the UK—especially as hotel use becomes politically untenable and legally fraught.
By combining speed, sustainability, cost-efficiency, and flexibility, Eco-Nests address both immediate shelter needs and broader policy challenges. Partnering government with modular housing innovators to deploy Bio-SIP systems would demonstrate not just crisis management—but a vision for greener, smarter housing solutions.
