ibis Gloucester (Barnwood)
The ibis Gloucester at Barnwood is used by Clearsprings Ready Homes under the Home Office asylum accommodation contract. Between August and October 2025 the site was the focus of sustained anti asylum protests with around 120 protesters and counter protesters at successive weekend events, prompting Gloucestershire Police to run dedicated public order operations[1]Press.
Capacity
120
rooms
Per night
£170
per resident
Annual
£7.4m
estimated
Background
The ibis Gloucester sits on Cheltenham Road East at Barnwood on the eastern edge of Gloucester city. Gloucester Liberal Democrats confirmed the site is being used by the Home Office under the Clearsprings Ready Homes contract for asylum accommodation, and have detailed engagement with Gloucestershire Police over the recurring protests[2]Press.
August to October 2025 protests
Stroud Times reported a 120 strong combined protest and counter protest at the site in September 2025, with Gloucestershire Police running dedicated public order operations across multiple weekend events[1]Press. The Yahoo News protest tracker subsequently listed the ibis Gloucester at Barnwood as one of the UK asylum hotels with sustained anti asylum protest activity between August and October 2025[3]Press.
Cost analysis
At the £170 per person per night Migration Observatory benchmark[4], a 120 room hotel run at full asylum occupancy implies headline taxpayer exposure of about £20,400 per night and roughly £7.4 million per year. That sits above the May 2025 NAO average of about £5.84 million per hotel[5]NAO.
Per-person per-day cost stack (benchmark)
£170- Hotel rate (room + three meals)£10059%
- Weekly cash allowance£74%
- Legal aid & casework£127%
- NHS / interpreter / utilities£1911%
- Contractor / security overhead£3219%
Cost in context
ibis Gloucester Barnwood
£170
benchmark
UK asylum hotel avg
£170
NAO
Gloucester budget hotel
£55
commercial
Hostel bed
£30
commercial
Timeline
Timeline
Pre-2024
Operates as a commercial ibis at Barnwood, Gloucester
2024
Hotel taken into asylum use
Clearsprings Ready Homes regional contract.
Aug 2025
Sustained protests begin
Anti asylum demonstrations and counter protests at weekend events.
Sep 2025
120 protesters at Barnwood
Stroud Times reports 120 strong protest and counter protest; Glos Police dedicated public order operation.
Oct 2025
Listed on Yahoo News protest map
ibis Gloucester named as one of the UK asylum hotel flashpoints.
Sources
- Clash at ibis Gloucester: 120 anti and pro asylum protesters face off — Stroud Times, Sep 2025
Stroud Times reports a 120 strong protest and counter protest outside the ibis Gloucester at Barnwood in September 2025, with Gloucestershire Police running dedicated public order operations across multiple weekend events.
- Gloucester Liberal Democrats statement on ibis Barnwood asylum hotel — Gloucester Liberal Democrats, 2025
Gloucester Liberal Democrats statement confirming the ibis hotel at Barnwood was being used by the Home Office under the Clearsprings Ready Homes contract for asylum accommodation, and detailing engagement with Gloucestershire Police over recurring protests.
- Yahoo News protest map: ibis Gloucester among UK asylum hotel flashpoints — Yahoo News UK, Oct 2025
Yahoo News protest tracker listing the ibis Gloucester at Barnwood as one of the UK asylum hotels with sustained anti asylum protest activity between August and October 2025.
- Asylum accommodation in the UK — Migration Observatory, University of Oxford, Aug 2025
£170 per person per day in hotels (2024/25 average); used for per-hotel estimates and food/utilities breakdowns.
- The Home Office's asylum accommodation contracts — National Audit Office, May 2025
222 hotels in use; £1.296 billion annual (2024/25); per-hotel approximately £5.84 million.