Concerns have been raised about Dereham becoming a “dumping ground” for ex-offenders.
A Freedom of Information request found the NR19 Hotel in the Market Place - formerly known as Hill House - and other properties across the town had rehoused 256 “households” in the past 12 months, with 115 having a criminal history.
The impact on the town was highlighted at a town council meeting on Tuesday night.
Residents and councillors voiced their concerns about the rise in anti social behaviour and the safety of the vulnerable families that are being homed next to ex-offenders.
Ray O'Callaghan, town mayor, said he had heard stories of single mothers that had fled domestic violence being put next to offenders that had just got out for committing the same crime.
Rob Jamieson, Reform town councillor, said: “There’s definitely a perception that Dereham is being used as a bit of a dumping ground.”
The actions of the owner of the NR19 Hotel, Tony Burlingham, was subject to much discussion at the meeting, with serious concerns being raised about the nature of his interests.
Mr O'Callaghan said he “accepts residents that other houses refuse to accommodate,” and is charging the council as much as £1,000 per week for a room.
“He’s using it as a cash cow and absolutely milking the state.”
Town councillor Zoe Flint shared similar concerns about the businessman.
She said: “The issue is he owns other premises in Dereham and if he was engaging with those people and supporting the residents then I think it would be another thing.
“But he doesn’t give anything back to the community and it is purely a money making business."
According to Ms Flint, Mr Burlingham has recently expressed interest in purchasing the King's Head to expand his temporary housing empire.
Discussions have been had over the takeover of the Grade II listed building, which has sat derelict since its closure a few months ago.
The town council admitted there would be little they could do to prevent a sale.
In 2022, the Villa Rose Hotel in Great Yarmouth was prevented from housing asylum seekers, however this was halted on tourism grounds and Dereham councillors fear they would lack similar leverage.
Kayleigh Harvey runs Elle Belle's on Wellington Road has raised concerns about the issue.
She believes the anti-social behaviour which surrounds the hotel has been hurting business in the town.
Ms Harvey said: "It puts people off coming here - it's so brazen the way they walk around the local area. If I was to come here I probably wouldn't come back.
“You can see they’re on drugs."
Ms Harvey said she once cut the hair of a single mum living in the hotel, who was in her early 20s with a one-year-old child.
The mother had told her the hotel was ridden with crack addicts and that she “was terrified”.
The salon owner also added that students at Northgate High School were at risk.
She said one of her daughter's friends had been grabbed by someone in a “sexual nature” outside the hotel when walking home.
She added she initially began to notice the anti-social behaviour in September last year, and has since had to deal with drug deals in her salon’s car park after cameras were installed at the NR19 site.
Ms Flint, who runs Dereham Cancer Care, said she had met a a brain cancer sufferer who had just left prison drug free, but had slipped into a crack addiction since moving to the hotel.
She underlined that the hotel needs to be supporting all that are rehoused.
“At the end of the day these are people, and we need to make sure they’re getting the relevant support.”
Blame has also been put at the foot of Breckland Council for their lack of transparency surrounding the sudden rise in rehoused people.
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Five councils from across Norfolk and Suffolk (Breckland, Norwich, Broadland, South Norfolk, East Suffolk) has contributed to the 256 rehoused in Dereham, but Breckland are responsible for their wellbeing once they arrive in the town.
Town councillors have accused the district of not informing police of the prior-offences committed by the rehomed ex-offenders.
Mr O'Callaghan accused the councils of a "gentlemen's agreement" between the body’s to not inform the authorities.
Ms Flint added: "Councils are required to tell the district council who they are moving in and they are also required to tell the police - Breckland is one of the councils not doing it."
On Wednesday morning, Ms Flint, Breckland councillor Alison Webb and an officer from Breckland are due to visit NR19 Hotel to “satisfy some form of concern that have been raised by residents about what is going on there”.
Mrs Webb said: “Of course there will be stuff that can be done and stuff that can’t be done.
“In my heart, there are ex-offenders and other people who have to go to temporary accommodation through no fault of their own, they have children and they deserve to be looked after.”
She added that Breckland has agreed to meet with the town council in the coming weeks to discuss the issue further.
Mr Burlingham has faced criticism in the past for cleanliness, fire safety, and allegations of sex work at some of his sites.
In 2017, he was fined £2,100 for failing to cooperate with a fire service investigation at NR19, formerly known at Hill House.
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