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# £88,000 emergency hotel contract approved as homeless numbers rise
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/88k-emergency-hotel-contract-approved-as-homeless-numbers-rise/
- Published: 2024-11-06T10:03:24.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T15:31:04.000Z
- Description: Rising homelessness in Ipswich has forced the council to spend £88,810 on emergency hotel accommodation. The contract extension at the Copdock Best Western comes as local housing services struggle with "insufficient capacity."
- Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams
- Tags: News, Homelessness, Councils, #article, Ipswich Borough Council, Best Western Hotels, #Import 2026-03-16 14:46

**The big picture:** Ipswich Borough Council is bypassing normal contract procedures to secure hotel rooms for homeless households, highlighting growing pressure on local housing services.

**Why it matters:** The council has a legal duty to provide temporary accommodation for certain homeless groups under the Housing Act 1996, but is struggling to meet demand through existing arrangements.

![Best Western Hotel in Copdock, Ipswich](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/03/1730887365-best-western-copdock-ipswich-1.jpg)

Best Western Hotel in Copdock, Ipswich Photo: Oliver Rouane-Williams (Ipswich.co.uk)

**The details:**

- The contract with Cameron Adventures, which operates the Best Western hotel in Copdock, will run from 17 October 2024 to 31 March 2025.
- It follows two previous 12-week contracts with the hotel.
- The council has waived normal market testing requirements due to "urgency and lack of providers".

**Behind the scenes:** Internal consultations took place between the council's procurement, finance and legal teams before the decision was approved. A Section 151 Officer reviewed the contract exemption before recommending approval.

**What they're saying:** The council's decision notice states there is "continued high demand for temporary accommodation and a lack of providers of this type of accommodation for homeless households."

**The bottom line:** The emergency contract approval suggests Ipswich's housing crisis shows no signs of easing, with the council having to take extraordinary measures to fulfil its statutory obligations to homeless residents.

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