STORY
A High Court judge has granted Epping Forest District Council an interim injunction to stop the Bell Hotel in Essex being used to house asylum seekers, a decision lawyers for the Home Office warned could trigger copycat legal bids by other councils and heap fresh pressure on an already stretched accommodation system for migrants. Mr Justice Eyre ordered the operators to cease use of the site for asylum housing by early September while the case proceeds, after ruling the change of use breached planning controls. The council argued the venue no longer functions as a hotel and that continued use had inflamed local tensions.
The ruling follows weeks of protests outside the Bell Hotel, some involving far-right groups, after criminal charges were brought against individuals staying at the site. The council told the court that closing the venue would reduce the risk of further disorder and improve safety for both residents and asylum seekers. The judge allowed time for compliance and the owners may still seek to appeal. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s late attempt to intervene was rejected, with the court noting the Home Office had known about the case since 12 August. In submissions, counsel for the Home Office said the shortage of asylum accommodation was “acute” and cautioned that if Epping succeeded there could be similar applications elsewhere.