Epping hotel can continue to house asylum seekers, high court rules

Asylum seekers can continue to be housed at an Essex hotel that became a flashpoint for anti-immigration protests during the summer, the high court has ruled.

- Ben Quinn

Lawyers for the local district council had sought a permanent injunction against the use of the Bell hotel in Epping, arguing at the high court that it was a "feeding ground for unrest and protest".

The application was opposed by the property's owner, Somani Hotels, while the Home Office also intervened in the case, arguing that the closure of asylum hotels must be "structured" and gradual.

Mr Justice Mould ruled yesterday that Epping Forest district council had a "reasonable basis" for its view that the current use of the Bell required planning permission and that it was in breach of planning control.

However, he rejected the council's case that Somani's use of the Bell to accommodate asylum seekers was a "flagrant" or "persistent" abuse of planning control.